Hawks survive wild third period to earn win

WASILLA — During the first two days of the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Hockey Tournament, the Houston Hawks and Delta Huskies combined for a grand total of one goal.

But on Saturday, both teams escaped from their offensive rut.

Houston needed four third-period scores to thwart a Delta comeback and earn a 7-5 win over the Huskies during the tourney’s seventh-place game at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Delta scored three times in the third, despite being held to just six shots in the period and 16 in the game.

“The last three shots they put on net went in goal,” Houston head coach Mike Styers said. “You can’t blame the goalie either, two of them were tipped. The breaks were starting to go their way and not our way.”

Delta forward Caleb Brown sparked the Huskies during the wild third period, scoring a game-tying power-play goal just 1 minute and 35 seconds into the third.

“We were really concerned when they tied it at 3-3,” Styers said. “You don’t want to give that momentum to them.”

Sophomore Matt Pinkelman and senior Junior Joe also scored for the Huskies in the third, but the Hawks were able to answer each Delta score with a goal of their own.

Houston senior Brendan Weimer, one of two Hawks to notch the hat trick, scored twice in the third. Sophomore Micah Ranum, who had three goals, and sophomore Rye Humphreys also scored for Houston in the third.

Houston and Delta put together a flurry of scores late in the third, with each team scoring twice during a span of 1:19.

Ranum gave the Hawks the temporary two-goal cushion at the 5:55 mark, knocking in a rebound off a Joe VanHyning shot from the point.

Just 52 seconds later, Matt Pinkelman beat Houston goalie Ben Barenburg glove side to cut the Hawks’ lead to 5-4.

On the ensuing face off, Houston won the draw to set up Humphreys’ score, which once again gave the Hawks the two-goal advantage.

The lead lasted for a mere 19 seconds and then Joe cut the Houston advantage to one goal again when he scored at the 4:36 mark.

“Every time they scored a goal the momentum could have changed, but the guys kept with it,” Styers said.

Houston posted 14 shots in the first period, but was only able to beat Delta freshman netminder Harold Probert twice.

Weimer scored 33 seconds into regulation to give the Hawks the early lead, and Ranum scored the first of three goals late in the period.

VanHyning earned one of his four assists on the Ranum goal.

Jake Gebauer scored midway through the second for Delta, and Trevor Gilbertson also scored for the Huskies in the second period.

Delta finished the game 3-for-4 on the power play.

Houston and Delta — former rivals on the 3A level — were outsored a combined 41-1 during the first two rounds of the tourney.

West Anchorage blasted Houston 14-1 in the first round and the Hawks were pushed into the seventh-place game with a 13-0 loss to Palmer.

Delta was shutout twice in two days, losing 6-0 to Colony and 8-0 to Wasilla.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Houston 7, Delta 5

Menard Memorial Hockey Tournament

Saturday, Wasilla

First period — 1. Houston- Weimer (Olson) 14:27, 2. Houston- Ranum (VanHyning) 2:35.

Second period — 3. Delta- H. Gebauer (Tappen) pp 9:27, 4. Houston- Ranum (VanHyning) 4x4 6:58, 5. Delta- Gilbertson (Pinkelman) 0:29.

Third period — 6. Delta- Brown (Pinkelman) pp 13:25, 7. Houston- Weimer (Ranum, Humphreys) pp 9:03, 8. Houston- Ranum (VanHyning) 4x4 5:55, 9. Delta- Pinkelman (J. Gebauer) 5:03, 10. Houston- Humphreys (Weimer) 4:54, 11. Delta- Joe (unassisted) 4:36, 12. Houston- Weimer (VanHyning) pp 3:14.

Shots on goal: Delta 4-6-6—16, Houston 14-9-15—38; Saves: Delta- Probert 12-8-11—31; Power plays: Delta 3-for-4, Houston 1-for-7.