Colony grabs North Star hockey title

WASILLA — For a number of years, the Colony Knights have not had much to celebrate during the region tournament. But that changed this year.

Saturday, Colony earned its third win in as many days, skating to a 5-3 win over rival Wasilla during the North Star Conference Championships title game at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Senior Jacob Link scored a pair of goals to help Colony earn the win, and capture its first conference title since 2002.

“We’ve been waiting years to even win a region game,” Link said of the championship. “To come out here, my senior year, and help my team win the region championship is incredible feeling.”

Link scored twice and Jake Branch added a goal during a pivotal five-minute stretch of the second period that gave the Knights a big lead. Josh Boyer and Curtis Foster added third-period goals for the Knights.

The win is a highlight for a program that has been a work in progress. With a 4-2 victory on Friday, Colony qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 2006.

“We’ve been talking a lot about building tradition, expectation of Colony Knights winning, and bringing success,” Link said.

Link said the CHS seniors have worked four years to get to this point.

“We have a bunch of solid seniors who helped this team get to where it is now,” Link said. “All the hard work paid off.”

Colony head coach Jamie Smith, a former longtime head coach at Houston High, said this was a similar experience during his time with the Hawks.

“It takes patience,” Smith said. “This was a five-year process.”

After a scoreless first period, Link scored on the power-play early in the second period to give the Knights a lead. With the Knights skating with the advantage, Otto Thiele walked the puck toward the crease and put a shot on goal. Link was there to hammer in the rebound.

Thiele also set up Link’s second goal of the game. With just less than nine minutes left in the second, Thiele sent a pass between the circles from the left wing. Link took the puck, skated forward and snapped a shot high into the net.

Only 13 seconds after Link bagged his second goal, Branch created a turnover in the left wing circle and put a puck high into the net.

“It was huge to get up, and get the momentum going our way,” Link said.

Luke Schruf put the Warriors on the scoreboard with about six minutes left in the second. The Wasilla senior captain picked up a loose puck at the Colony blue line and scored on a short breakaway. The Warriors also added a pair of goals in the third. Olivia Matson scored on a wrister from the top of the right wing circle with 7:34 more left in the game. Russell Harren added a late goal for the Warriors.

Both Colony and Wasilla advanced to state with semifinal wins Friday. The 4A state bracket is expected to be released Monday.

Colony 5, Wasilla 3

NSC championship

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Colony- Link (Thiele, Foster) pp 13:49; 2. Colony- Link (Thiele) 8:58; 3. Colony- Branch (unassisted) 8:45; 4. Wasilla- Schruf (unassisted) 6:06.

Third period — 5. Colony- Boyer (Mitchell) 14:14; 6. Colony- Foster (Link, Thiele) pp 10:27; 7. Wasilla- O. Matson (Morrison, Clark) 7:34; 8. Wasilla- Harren (Schruf) ea 0:25.

Shots on goal: Colony 6-13-11—30, Wasilla 7-6-12—25; Saves: Colony- Diltz 7-5-10–22, Wasilla- Verplancke 6-10-9—25.