Hawks eager for next step in MAC Championships

HOUSTON — As the smallest school in the five-team Mid-Alaska Conference, Houston’s primary goal each year is to be one of the four teams to qualify for the MAC Championships.

The Hawks have done that. Now, it’s for Part 2 of the plan — fly into the championship game.

Fourth-seeded Houston will face top-seed West Valley tonight at 7 p.m. during the first round of the MAC Championships tournament in Fairbanks.

“To be able to get there is big. But we definitely think we have a chance to win,” Houston head coach Mike Styers said.

Houston used a 7-2 win over North Pole last week in the Interior to clinch a conference tournament berth for the second straight year. Jake Wells and Jon Lovelace each had multiple goals in the win. Lane Styers distributed three assists.

The Hawks fell to undefeated West Valley 7-4 on that same road trip. Despite the school, Styers feels fairly well about how his team played against a West Valley program that’s viewed among the better teams in the state.

“We skated with them until, maybe, midway through the third,” Styers said.

The Hawks were able to run three solid lines in the game, but penalties hurt their chances. Styers said in order to have a chance tonight, the Hawks will have to limit themselves to just two or three penalties in the game.

“West Valley has probably one of the best power plays,” Styers said. “They’re young guy, but they move the puck really well.”

Second-seeded Lathrop faces third-seeded Juneau-Douglas in the other semifinal. The winner of each game tonight moves into the conference championship game and will also earn a berth to the state tournament, which starts Thursday in Wasilla.

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