Hawks on top of conference after break

The Houston Hawk hockey squad is coming off the winter break in first place and ready to make a run for its third consecutive state title.

The Hawks are currently 9-2-0 overall and 4-0-0 in conference play with eight conference games to go.

The 3A Hawks are 5-2-0 this season against 4A opponents, including a 3-0-0 record against large school squads from the Valley.

Houston swept Colony, Palmer and Wasilla this season for the first time in the program's history.

Houston has already scored two pivotal victories over Delta. The Huskies annually challenge Houston for the state title.

The Hawks have scored 25 goals in league play this season. The stingy Houston defense has only allowed one goal. Delta has been the only team to put the puck in the Houston net during conference play. That came in the first contest of the season. Houston has since pitched three consecutive shutouts.

After traveling to Fairbanks this weekend for a series of non-conference games at the West Valley Invitational, Houston will host 0-1 Glennallen for a pair of contests Jan. 17-18.

The Hawks will then hit the Parks Highway again, heading back to Fairbanks for a series against conference foe Monroe Catholic. Houston will also make a stop in Healy to take on Tri-Valley.

Their final test of the season will come in late January as they host Kenny Lake High School, who is also unbeaten.

Houston currently has the top two goaltenders in league play. Matt Dischner has stopped 46 of the 47 shots he has faced, giving him a 0.33 goals against average and a .979 saves percentage.

Paul Sutton-Jones still holds a perfect saves percentage and goals against average after registering a shutout in his lone start.

Seven of the top 15 scorers in the conference wear a Hawks uniform. Senior blueliner Jamie Bennett leads HHS with four goals and five assists in conference play.