Hawks clinch top seed in 3A state tournament

HOUSTON — After sitting idly to watch as back-to-back two-game conference homestands were canceled due to poor weather around the state, the Houston Hawks were forced earn key points in the Greatland Conference standings the hard way.

Houston responded to the newfound adversity by sweeping a three-game conference road trip in Fairbanks last weekend. The Hawks beat Delta, Monroe Catholic and Hutchison to remain undefeated in Greatland play and earn the top seed in the 3A state tournament, which starts Feb. 13 in Wasilla.

“It was a great weekend for us. To travel that far, have to play three games and have our toughest game on the last game, it was a great weekend,” Houston head coach Mike Styers said Monday afternoon.

After skating past Delta and Monroe during the first two days of the trip, Houston won a battle of the unbeatens, knocking off Hutchison 6-3 last Saturday at the Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks. Styers said that even though it’s listed as a three-goal win on the scoresheet, the final score does not indicate what type of contest it was.

“It was really a one-goal game,” Styers said. “It was definitely a good battle.”

Houston held a 4-3 lead late. Styers said the Hawks scored an empty-netter after Hutchison pulled its goalie to take a 5-3 lead. Houston added a final tally in the final seconds. Jon Lovelace flipped a shot into the net before the final horn sounded, Styers said.

“I don’t think (the goalie) ever saw it coming,” Styers said.

Lovelace scored four times for Houston. Patric Thistle and Brad Fortin also scored.

Hutchison is the No. 2 seed from the Greatland Conference and will enter the state tournament on the opposite side of the bracket. The final two seeds of the state tourney bracket will be determined in a four-team playoff this weekend.

Styers said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Hutchison in the 3A state title game.

“They’re definitely a solid team,” Styers said. “They’re a real physical team with lots of fast guys.”

Fortin helped Houston get a good start to the weekend, netting a hat trick during a 6-1 win over Delta on Thursday. Thistle added a pair of goals. Tristan Hracha scored shorthanded for the Hawks.

In a rematch of the 2013 3A state title game, Houston beat Monroe 7-1 on Friday. Lovelace led the Hawks with a five-point night.

Monroe beat Houston in last year’s state final.