Fast start sparks Moose in win

PALMER — After opening the season with a tough tie against Homer and difficult 6-1 loss to Wasilla, Palmer head coach Kevin Dearborn was eager to see his team get back on track.

More importantly, Dearborn was able to see his team back together during an 8-0 win over Houston at Palmer High on Tuesday.

“This is the first time since the first five minutes of the first game that I’ve had all my starters back,” Dearborn said, noting three injuries to starters during the season-opening tie against Homer. “To have them back and work as a unit is good. I think that’s putting us in the right direction.”

Palmer grabbed control of the match early, scoring three times in the first nine minutes and five goals in the first 17 minutes.

“After playing Homer, a good physical team, and playing Wasilla, which is a good team, I think we knew we had to come out and be aggressive and play disciplined,” Dearborn said. “That’s something we didn’t do against Wasilla. We played aggressive, but didn’t play disciplined.”

Junior Nick Blohm led the Moose with a hat trick in the win and junior Andres Bates added a pair of goals. Senior Steven Lee, senior Aube Strickland and sophomore Cody Wells also scored for the Moose.

Palmer opened the scoring in the third minute. Lee came up the right side and sent a cross to Blohm, who knocked the ball in from the backside of the net. Blohm knocked another shot in during the fifth minute to push Palmer’s lead to a pair of goals.

During the ninth minute, Kaden Weaver sent a ball through the midfield, which Lee tapped in for a score.

Blohm completed his hat trick during the 11th minute. Bates scored the first of his two goals during the 17th minute, a goal set up by a Gerrit Van Diest throw-in from the right side.

Strickland, Bates and Wells scored during the second half.

Dearborn praised the work of Houston senior goalkeeper Jake Davis.

“I thought the goalie was good. I thought the goalie had a great vertical, long arms, big jump. He was taking a lot of those air balls away,” Dearborn said.

Senior Thomas Morino earned the shutout in the Palmer net.

Colony 3, Palmer 2

ANCHORAGE — The Colony Knights scored early and held on to grab a 3-2 win over the Palmer Moose Wednesday at The Dome in Anchorage.

Senior Sean Colette scored during the fourth minute to give the Knights the early lead. Sophomore Ben Atkinson used a cross to set up the goal.

Junior Jake Spannagel scored twice for the Knights.

Nick Blohm and Felix Rinaldi scored for Palmer.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/mat-su_sports.