Wolverines Fall in Overtime Thriller, Season Comes to a Close
NAHL Anchorage Wolverines

Wolverines Fall in Overtime Thriller, Season Comes to a Close

Published on April 25, 2026 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Anchorage Wolverines News Release


The Sullivan Arena carried an electric atmosphere Friday night as 6,014 fans packed the building for Game Four of the Midwest Division Semi-Finals between the Anchorage Wolverines and the Minnesota Wilderness.

While the result didn't fall in Anchorage's favor, the Wolverines delivered a performance that kept the crowd on its feet until the very end.

Minnesota struck first, capitalizing twice on the power play in the opening period to take a 2-0 lead.

Trailing heading into the second, Anchorage refused to let up. The intensity built throughout the middle frame, but despite the push, the period remained scoreless.

The breakthrough finally came at the 12-minute mark of the third. Jack McKenna put the Wolverines on the board after a far-side feed from Lobenwein, wiring a shot from the top of the circle to cut the deficit to one.

Moments later, it appeared the Wolverines had tied the game. Luc Bydal forced a turnover behind the Minnesota net, carried the puck to the near-side dot, spun, and fired it over the goaltender's right shoulder. The crowd erupted, but the celebration was short-lived. Officials waved off the goal due to a controversial kneeing penalty assessed to Sam Evert, a call that could have completely shifted the momentum.

Anchorage didn't fold.

With time winding down, the Wolverines found another spark. A sequence involving Bowen Burke, Rylan Bydal, and Caleb Mahar led to one final surge. Burke moved the puck to Rylan in the near circle, who instead of shooting, threaded a pass across to Mahar. Mahar buried the one-timer with just 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation, sending the arena into chaos and forcing overtime.

Minnesota ultimately sealed the series nine minutes into the extra frame, ending Anchorage's bid for a Game Five.

As the final horn echoed, the crowd rose once more, this time in appreciation. A "Weigel" chant filled the arena, honoring goaltender Kai Weigel, whose mid-season arrival helped reshape the Wolverines' season.

Weigel finished the night with a .920 save percentage, stopping 23 of 25 shots.

Friday also marked the final junior hockey game for Anchorage's age-out players: Kai Weigel, Luc Bydal, Cole Frawner, Sam Evert, Duke Gentzler, Alexsander Matveyev, and Bowen Burke. Several have already committed to the next level, including Bydal (Long Island University), Gentzler (Air Force Academy), and Burke (Union College).

Anchorage local and Wolverines captain Cole Frawner was the lone '05 to spend three seasons in a Wolverines sweater, and one of just two players on the roster who skated at Ben Boeke Arena during the team's final season there in 2023-24.

Frawner leaves behind a legacy defined by respect inside the locker room and grit on the ice. He is the only player in franchise history to win the "Players' Player" Award twice, both times voted unanimously by his teammates.

He also owns one of the most overlooked records in team history. Frawner is the Wolverines' all-time leader in penalty minutes and holds the single-season record as well, amassing 499 career PIMs, including 215 in his rookie season alone.

Frawner finishes as the franchise leader in games played, appearing in 164 contests, surpassing Danny Reis' previous mark of 123.

The winner of tonight's Game Five matchup between the Fairbanks Ice Dogs (2) and the Wisconsin Windigo (3) will advance to face Minnesota in the next round.

From the entire Anchorage Wolverines organization: thank you. This season was about more than hockey, it was about community. Your support meant everything.

We'll see you in September.

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North American Hockey League Stories from April 25, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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