Historic Start Continues After Sweep of Kenai
Published on October 6, 2025 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release
The Minnesota Wilderness strengthened their hold on first place in the Midwest Division and set a new franchise record for best 9-game start after sweeping the Kenai River Brown Bears this weekend.
In the series at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, AK, the Wilderness won Friday's contest, 6-4, and Saturday's rematch, 5-2. Minnesota now leads the Midwest Division by 5 points over 2nd place Janesville. The Wilderness also set a new record with seven wins in its first nine games, its most in franchise history, breaking the previous mark of 6 set in 2019-20 and 2014-15.
Minnesota continues its first Alaska road trip of the 2025-26 season this weekend with a visit to Anchorage. The Wilderness will meet the Anchorage Wolverines in a 3-game series set to begin Thursday, Oct. 9.
Friday: Wilderness 6, Kenai River 4
In the series opener, the Wilderness and Brown Bears each had moments where they dominated portions of the game. Minnesota scored the game's first five goals, with four being scored over 9 minutes in the 2nd period. Kenai then went on to outscore the Wilderness 4-1 over the final 23:59.
Noah Dziver led the Wilderness with two goals and two assists. Dziver scored the game's opening goal with 9:46 left in the first period and what ended up as the game-winning tally on the power play with 7:05 left in the 2nd.
Caleb Kim, Talan Blanck and Jakeb Lynch also lit the lamp for Minnesota in the 2nd period, while Olle Karlsson added a third period marker.
Blanck and Kim each added two assists to finish with three points in the contest. Lynch recorded one assist for a 2-point game.
Zach Howard, Zach Homer and Nate Murray each finished with single assists.
Kenai River's comeback effort began with Michael Fiedorczuk and Trevor Sterwart each scoring late in the middle frame to make the score 5-2 going into the third period. After Karlsson's red-lighter extended Minnesota's lead to 6-2 1:25 into the final frame, the Brown Bears added goals from David Greene and Dario Lass before regulation time ended.
In goal, Minnesota's Valdemar Andersen kept his record perfect, improving to 6-0. Kenai's Mitchell McCusker suffered the loss.
The Wilderness outshot the Brown Bears, 18-17.
Each team finished with one power play goal, with the Wilderness getting two chances and the Brown Bears getting two.
Saturday: Wilderness 5, Kenai River 2
In Saturday's rematch, after falling behind 2-1 after a late 2nd period Kenai tally, the Wilderness scored four unanswered goals in the final period to clinch the series sweep.
Dziver had another strong night, with one goal and one assist, giving him a 6-point weekend. Homer and Jackson Reeves also registered two points with one each recording goal and one assist, while Murray, Kim and Jackson Reeves each notched single goals.
Single assists went to Howard, Lynch, Blanck, Robinson Djian and Andrei Gudin.
Gudin's helper was his first point of the season, as the rookie from Yekaterinburg, RUS, was playing his first game in Jr. hockey. The 17-year-old became a magnet for Brown Bear back-checkers as he cycled the puck in the offensive zone along the right boards to the Kenai blue line before cutting to the middle and finding Reeves all alone at the bottom of the left circle. From there, Reeves had an easy target to deposit his first Jr. hockey goal. That tally, with 14:50 left in the third, gave the Wilderness their first lead of
the contest and ended up being the game-winner.
Minnesota did not get a power play in Saturday's game, while Kenai River went 0-for-2.
The Wilderness (7-1-1) outshot the Brown Bears (4-5-0), 18-17. Wilderness netminder Ryan Gerlich earned his first NAHL victory stopping 15 shots. Andrew McLouth suffered the loss for the Brown Bears with 13 saves.
North American Hockey League Stories from October 6, 2025
- Wranglers Take down New Mexico - Amarillo Wranglers
- Historic Start Continues After Sweep of Kenai - Minnesota Wilderness
- Wings Sweep Norsemen in First Full Weekend in the Odde - Aberdeen Wings
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