Brothers Luc and Rylan Bydal helped propel the team to a fifth straight victory with an 8-5 triumph over Kenai River.
The Anchorage Wolverines kept their momentum going Friday night to open the second leg of their three-week homestand at Sullivan Arena. In the first of their two-game weekend series against the Kenai River Brown Bears, the Wolverines extended their win streak to five in a row with an 8-5 victory.
“We’ve won five straight and gone nine straight games with a point, so we’re buzzing right now and it’s what we needed, so it’s big to have at this time of year,” Anchorage forward Luc Bydal said. He led the charge and spearheaded the offensive effort once again with a five-point night that saw him add a pair of goals to his team-leading season total and assist on three others, including one by his brother Rylan Bydal. “Obviously, I can’t do it without my teammates, but I was feeling it tonight and it paid off,” Luc Bydal said. The game was tied 1-1 through the first period, but the Wolverines found themselves staring at a 3-1 hole after the Brown Bears scored two unanswered goals to open the second period. Luc Bydal was able to tie the game by scoring back-to-back power play goals at the 6:24 and 4:55 marks.“He’s got gifts that you can’t teach,” Anchorage head coach Mike Aikens said. “He’s got an unbelievable hockey mind and an offensive feel for the game. He’s a work in progress away from the puck, learning to play better defensively, but he’s made huge strides in that area.” In their pursuit to make him a more well-rounded player, the coaches don’t want to take away from his offensive abilities. “We like him to pick his spots a little bit at times, but he’s a special talent for sure,” Aikens said. Eagle River’s Aiden Lawson gave Anchorage back the lead with his first goal, with 2:33 left in the second period. It came off of assists from both Bydal brothers, who either scored or assisted in seven of the team’s eight goals in the game.“We have a lot of chemistry alongside with Sam Evert,” Luc Bydal said. “When we’re going, it’s tough to beat, but everyone contributed tonight in a huge win for us.” The third period was when Anchorage’s scoring frenzy went up another notch. The Wolverines outscored Kenai 4-2, including two goals made in a span of just 17 seconds from Rylan Bydal and defensemen Cale Quamme. “We’re always kind of buzzing offensively, eight goals is good but we can’t let up five,” Luc Bydal said. “Good teams find a way to win, and that’s what we did.” The Wolverines capitalized on the opportunities where they had the numbers advantage on the ice as five of their goals came on power plays. “I’d like to shore up some things up defensively — to give up five goals is not acceptable,” Aikens said. “We went 5-for-9 on the power play, so our special teams were phenomenal tonight.”The Wolverines kept their composure and didn’t get rattled or discouraged when they trailed or the game got tight. “The guys believe in each other right now, and there’s a lot of love in our locker room,” Aikens said. “There’s no selfishness, so guys are sharing the puck and guys are laying it on the line.” He feels like everyone on the team has figured out their roles and players are coming together at the right time as the playoffs near. “We got hot at the right time here,” Aikens said. “After our start, we were 3-9, and now we’re 26-10, so we’ve been on a good roll for a while. But it’s nice to be playing well at this time of year, and this is the time of the year to be playing.”Josh Reed is a sports reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. He's a graduate of West High School and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.It’s not just vaccines — parents are refusing other routine preventive care for newborns
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