Berti a wall against the Warriors

Kyle Berti has been doing his best impersonation of a wall.

The Palmer goaltender has made glove saves, chest saves, stick saves, skate saves and even stopped a puck with his head.

He made saves from his feet and his knees as well as his stomach and back.

Berti has been a living nightmare for the Wasilla Warriors in the past two weeks.

Behind a 39-save performance, Berti led Palmer to a 2-1 victory over its crosstown rival in the quarterfinals of the Region III hockey tournament Thursday.

In back-to-back performances against Wasilla, Berti has recorded 77 saves.

Berti stopped 38 Warrior shots in a 4-2 loss last week to conclude Palmer's regular season.

Prior to the regular season finale Palmer head coach Brian Fish noticed that his goaltender was getting a bit nervous.

"He has played basically all year for us, but it was a big night with senior night and all, so the nerves might have caught up to him," Fish said. "There is a lot of pressure to come in and do well, especially in a program that has seen little success.

"The nerves will get tested. He handles the pressure well."

According to Berti, being a little nervous is a positive rather than a negative.

"It helps keep your cool, keeps you positive," Berti said.

Berti claimed that the nerves really played into his performance in the victory.

In just his first season in a Moose uniform, Berti has been integral in Palmer's success. The freshman netminder has not only been stable between the pipes, but has improved in each game.

Fish noted many improvements in Berti's game.

"He is more composed and does not scramble around as much in the crease," Fish said. "He stands his ground and feels confident.