Hawks win fourth consecutive state hockey title

Feb. 11, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - The Houston Hawks used the dump and chase strategy to wear down the Glennallen Panthers Saturday afternoon.

But the real chase came on the trek for an unprecedented fourth-straight state hockey title, a race the Hawks won with a 5-0 win over the Panthers at the Menard Memorial Arena in Wasilla.

Houston used that simple, yet effective, strategy to become the first team to win four consecutive state titles at any level since a sanctioned state high school hockey championship tournament became an annual event in Alaska

&#8220It feels unbelievable. Unreal,” said Houston senior Dusty Spidal, one of three seniors on the Houston squad to win four state titles and four years.

Defensmen Kaleb Westfall and forward Chad Lipse also have ended each of their four seasons at HHS with the top prize at the small-schools level.

&#8220It's huge. It's awesome,” Westfall said. &#8220I don't even know how to explain it.”

Wesftall and junior forward Dillon Styers each posted two goals and an assist in the win. Junior Jake Henkel recorded three assists. Freshman goalie Will Rauchenstein stopped 14 shots and notched the shutout in his first career state title game.

Senior forward Aaron Burleson, who ends his career with three state hockey titles, also scored a goal.

Houston moved into the state title game with an 11-1 win over Delta on Friday. Glennallen advanced with a 7-3 victory over Monroe.

In the Panthers' semifinal win, Houston head coach Mike Styers noticed Glennallen had a few players that almost never left the ice.

&#8220We knew going into the game we had to wear them out,” Styers said. &#8220So we told them you've got to dump and chase.”

And that's what Houston did.

&#8220They leave their two big defensmen out there for almost the entire game,” Lipse said. &#8220We figured we'd wear them down, and that would really open some opportunities for us to get the puck in the net.”

Houston took its first lead less than three minutes into regulation when Westfall took a quick pass from Styers, and put the puck over Glennallen goalie Gerald Mills. Styers set up the one-timer by retrieving the puck from the back of the Panther net, and sending the puck in front of the crease.

Less than two minutes later, Styers got a clear look at the net, and put a quick wrist shot into the net.

Houston scored its final three goals in the second period.

Burleson walked the puck up the Panther net, and beat Mills to give the Hawks the 3-0 edge.

Westfall slapped a shot in the net midway through the period, and Styers scored on the power play with one second left in the middle frame.

Mills, the often tested Panther netminder, stopped 20 shots and was named the player of the game for Glennallen. Westfall earned honors for HHS.

While virtually all of the Hawks have state championship experience - there are only three freshman on the roster - Rauchenstein blanked the opponent in arguably the biggest game of his young hockey career.

&#8220Will came up big today,” Lipse said. &#8220He made some awesome saves.”

Glennallen put only 14 shots on goal, compared to 25 for Houston, but the Panthers did have their quality opportunities.

Glennallen held a 5-on-3 advantage for 1 minute and 27 seconds in the third period. Rauchenstein batted away a Dillon Sondergaard attempt, and used his glove to stop a Travis Farmer shot.

Rauchenstein started and finishes the season as Houston's one and only goaltender.

&#8220He really hung in there for us,” Lipse said. &#8220He had a lot of pressure on him, but did really well.”

Houston won its fourth straight small-schools state title and sixth in seven years, but it will be the Hawks last, at least for the foreseeable future.

Next season Houston will make the leap to the 4A level, and join the Mid-Alaska Conference.