Late goal for Morgan lifts Brown Bears past Jets

By Jim den Hollander

Publisher/Editor

Midwesthockey.info

Down 3-1 after a period, the Kenai River Brown Bears took over and two third period goals, including the game winner with 3:34 to go completed an NAHL Midwest Division semi-final upset 4-3 win against the top seeded Janesville Jets.

The Brown Bears stunned the top seed with a pair of wins in Janeville last weekend and then responded to a bounce back 6-1 win for the Jets the previous night, eliminating the Jets with the win on Saturday (May 30) at the National Sports Center Super Rinks in Blaine, Minn.

For the first time, Jets hit the board first Charlie Schoen (‘01/Andover, Minn.) scoring 7:15 into the contest and Justin Thompson (‘00/Oakdale, Minn.) added another 1:37 later.

Brandon McNamara (‘00/Andover, Minn.) pulled one back for the Bears 27-seconds after the Thompson goal, but Thompson added another late in the period to restore the two-goal margin.

The lone goal of the second period came from Max Helgeson (‘00/Anchorage, Alaska) setting the stage for the third period heroics.

Lucas Wahlin (‘01/Woodbury, Minn) pulled the Bears even just before the halfway mark of the final period and Peter Morgan (‘00/Sarasota, Fla.) buried the game and series winner 3:34 from the final buzzer.

With the win, the Brown Bears move into the Midwest Division Championship against the Minnesota Magicians. Dates for that series are still to be announced.

Other Saturday action saw the Wichita Falls Wildcats wrapping up a three-game sweep with a 4-2 win against the Lone Star Brahmas at Kay Yeager Coliseum in Wichita Falls, setting up a South Division Championship series with the Wildcats taking on the Shreveport Mudbugs.

Also, the Maryland Black  Bears snared a 4-3 win in the deciding game of their Best of Five East Division Semi-final against the Johnstown Tomahawks at the Cambria County War Memorial.