Hawks skate into Greatland title game

NORTH POLE — Houston needed a rally, but the Hawks are headed for the Greatland Conference Championships title game.

The Hawks scored three unanswered goals in the third period to net a 6-4 come-from-behind victory over Delta during the Greatland semifinals Thursday at the Polar Ice Arena in North Pole. With the win, Houston moves into the conference championship game to face Monroe Catholic Friday at 7:45 p.m. at the Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks.

Monroe blasted Hutchison 8-0 in the semifinals.

Reed Humphreys scored three goals to lead Houston to the win. Humphreys, who bagged a combined five goals during a two-game series sweep of Hutchison last weekend, notched his hat trick with the game-tying goal about five minutes into the third period. At the 6:57 mark of the third, Tyler Chivers scored the game-winner. Isaac Smolden added a late score to ice the game for the Hawks.

Andrew Natekin scored the first goal of the game to give the Hawks the lead early in the first period. Humphreys added unassisted tallies in the first and second periods. Delta used a pair of second-period goals to take a 4-3 lead into the final frame.

Houston outshot Delta 42-25 in the win. Caleb Beauvais made 21 saves for the Hawks.

The Hawks, the No. 3 seed, opened tournament play with a 9-4 win over Tri Valley Thursday afternoon.

Chivers and Tristan Hracha scored two goals each for Houston.

With a win over Monroe Friday, Houston, the defending 3A state champions, would win the conference title and claim the first of two berths for the 2016 3A state tournament. With a loss, Houston would still be alive for 3A’s second state berth. Houston would drop into the loser’s bracket with the loss. The team that comes out of the loser’s bracket gets the second berth to state.

Houston 6, Delta 4

Greatland Conference semifinals

Thursday, North Pole

First period — 1. Houston- A. Natekin (Zweifel) 13:19; 2. Delta- Yearty (Smith) 10:17; 3. Houston- Humphreys (unassisted) 6:57; 4. Delta- Anderson (Yearty) 0:13.

Second period — 5. Delta- Warren (No. 4) 8:26; 6. Houston- Humphreys (unassisted) 4:48; 7. Delta- Smith (No. 4, Warren) 2:16.

Third period — 8. Houston- Humphreys (Fonov) 10:38; 9. Houston- Chivers (Fonov, Humphreys) 6:57; 10. Houston- Smolden (Fonov) 0:40.

Shots on goal: Houston 12-12-18—42, Delta 6-11-7—25; Saves: Houston- Beauvais 4-10-7—21, Delta- Champagne 10-11-15—36.

Houston 9, Tri Valley 4

Greatland Conference quarterfinals

Thursday, Fairbanks

First period — 1. Tri Valley- Rasis (Yanuchi, Chattfield) 12:37; 2. Houston- Smolden (Gillespie) 11:44; 3. Houston- Chivers (A. Natekin) 5:40; 4. Houston- Hracha (Smolden, Fortin) 5:18; 5. Houston- Hracha (Humphreys) 3:37.

Second period — 6. Houston- Humphreys (unassisted) 7:46; 7. Tri Valley- Rasis (Yanuchi) 9:13; 8. Tri Valley- Fonov (Smolden, Hracha) 1:17; 9. Houston- A. Natekin (Chivers, Y. Natekin) 0:03.

Thid period — 10. Houston- Chivers (Y. Natekin) 8:29; 11. Tri Valley- Chattfield (Ketich, Venechuk); 12. Houston- Scott (A .Natekin) 3:57; 13. Tri Valley- H. Mortenson (Chattfield, Venechuk) 3:23.

Shots on goal: Houston 20-19-11—50; Tri Valley 5-9-7—21; Saves: Houston- Beauvais 4-8-5—17, Tri Valley 16-16-9—41.