The Lone Star Brahmas got off to a quick lead and didn’t look back, topping the Anchorage Wolverines 8-2 on Friday in the opening game of a Robertson Cup semifinal series at the Fogerty Ice Arena in Blaine, Minnesota.
The Brahmas scored four goals in the first period to take a commanding lead into the first break. Lone Star, the top seed in the semifinals with a 51-11-4-3 record, added two more in the second period to pull away.
“Obviously not the start we wanted,” Wolverines head coach Nick Walters said in a statement. “I felt like there was a bit of a feeling out process with it being a team we have never seen. But we just didn’t have that jump tonight and that will be something we look at improving upon tomorrow.”
Anchorage finally got on the board with a pair of goals in quick succession early in the third period. Bryce Monrean scored at 18:57 of the period with Arvega Hovsepyan and Trenton Powell contributing assists. Teammate Kade Shea scored just 31 seconds later to cut the Lone Star lead to 6-2. Jackson Stimple and Drew Nelson were credited with assists on the Shea goal.
But the Brahmas added a pair of third-period goals of their own to take the first game of the best-of-3 series.
“Despite the score I was happy with our 3rd period,” Walters stated. “We got back to the habits and details to which this team was built on and felt like we carried the pace for most of the third. We will look to build on that and get the win in Game 2.”
Jacob MacDonald scored a pair of goals for Lone Star and added an assist for a three-point game.
Anchorage goalie Liam Beerman gave up six goals to just eight saves before making way for teammate Vaughn Makar midway through the game.
The two teams will meet Saturday at 1:30 p.m. AKDT in a must-win game for the Wolverines.