Hawks win opener

WASILLA -- The first puck of the 2003 local prep hockey season has been dropped.

The Houston Hawks skated to an 8-3 win over the Colony Knights Friday at the Brett Memorial Ice Arena.

The game marked the season opener of both programs.

Larry Kincaid paced the Hawks with a five-point effort. The sophomore forward registered a pair of goals and three assists.

Roy Stull and Wade Williams also scored two goals each.

Kincaid set up Stull in the first period to help give Houston a 1-0 lead.

On the play, Kincaid picked up the loose puck behind the Colony net and sent a centering pass to Stull, who stood at the Knight doorstep.

Stull fired the puck past Colony netminder Tyrel Henkel, for his first of two scores on the night.

Kincaid also scored two of Houston's three powerplay goals in the game.

The Hawks not only had their offense in full-force, their power play was clicking. Houston scored on its first three powerplay opportunities and was 3-for-4 with the man advantage.

"Our powerplay was awesome," said Williams, who set up Kincaid's first powerplay goal.

Chad Lispe and Kaleb Westphall also scored for the Hawks.

Joe Current notched his first career start between the pipes for the Hawks.

Current got the nod over incoming starter Paul Sutton-Jones.

"Paul had to sit due to a discipline issue ,and Joe got the start," Houston head coach Jamie Smith said. "I was really impressed. He got the chance, you got to love when that happens."

Current recorded 19 saves in nearly 28 minutes of playing time. Current kept the Knights scoreless until allowing a pair of shorthanded goals to Colony's Scott Beckman late in the second period.

On the Houston powerplay, Beckman took a pass from Chris Arentz and slipped the puck past Current with 2 minutes and 54 seconds left in the second period.

Arentz fed Beckman again 19 seconds later.

Sutton-Jones, who saw action in nine conference games last season for Houston, will most likely be the starter in goal for the Hawks. Sutton-Jones replaces Matt Dischner who transferred to

Colony before the beginning of the

season.

"I wasn't completely sure why he transferred, but the kid's got to do what he's got to do," Smith said.

Though Dischner is a student at Colony High, he will not be able to skate with the Knights until very late in the season.

"We will have him about three or four days before regions," Colony head coach Dale Mattson said. "I think that is the way it works out."

Due to school district guidelines, a player has to sit out 18 weeks following their second transfer between schools within the Mat-Su School District. Dischner had transferred from Wasilla to Houston earlier in his high school career.