Houston hockey squad skates to weekend split

WASILLA -- The Houston Hawks earned a split over the weekend, losing a close battle with the Skyview Panthers and blasting the Nikiski Bulldogs.

The Skyview Panthers erased a 3-1 deficit with a trio of third period goals en route to a 5-4 overtime victory over the Hawks on Friday night.

Jamie Bennett scored an unassisted goal and Jake Williams posted a pair of scores in the third period as the Hawks jumped to a 3-1 lead.

Paddy Iverson, Lukas Fellman and Travis Mercier scored in the second period to help Skyview take the 4-3 lead.

At the 2:40 mark in the third period, Larry Kincaid took a pass from Jered Cizek and pushed the puck past Skyview goaltender Kyle Kay to tie the game at 4-4.

The Panthers escaped with the win as Fellman scored his second goal of the night just 1:49 into the overtime period.

Houston goaltender Matt Dirshner faced 41 shots on the night and registered 36 saves. Virtually all off the action on the Houston goal came in the second period as Skyview continuously peppered Dirshner. The Panthers had a whopping 25 shots in the second frame.

The following night, the Hawks avenged their loss to Skyview by hammering Nikiski 9-0.

Defenseman Jamie Bennett registered a hat trick for the Hawks. It marked the blueliner's second hat trick in a week. Bennett also posted three goals in Houston's 7-3 win over Palmer on Nov. 16.

Senior Jake Williams posted a goal and three assists in the win.

Kincaid, Cizek, Devon Styers, Henry Orth and Matt Bertling also lit the lamp for Houston.

Dirshner stopped all 17 Nikiski shots he faced to register the shutout.

Houston recorded 47 shots on goal.

Skyview 5 Houston 4

First period: Scoring: Houston, Bennett EV (12:16); Houston, J. Williams (Stull) EV 11:14; Houston J. Williams (Bennett) EV 8:48; Skyview, T. Mercier PP 7:12; Penalties: Houston, Baskin, 2-tripping 7:46; Skyview, J. Mercier 2-check from behind 4:39; Skyview, J. Mercier 10-misconduct 2:39; Houston, Stull 2-slashing 2:05; Houston, J. Williams 2-holding 00:13; PP: Houston 0-1, Skyview 1-3; Shots: Houston 12, Skyview 11; Saves: Houston, Dirshner 10, Skyview, Kay 9.

Second period: Scoring: Skyview, Iverson (Sachwitz, Burdick) EV 10:53; Skyview, L. Fellman (T. Mercier) EV 8:53; Skyview, T. Mercier (Carver, Iverson) EV; Penalties: Houston, Stull 2-slashing 5:49; Houston, Bennett 2-interference 5:04; PP: Houston 0-0, Skyview 0-2; Shots: Houston 17, Skyview 25; Saves: Dirshner 22, Kay 17.

Third period: Scoring: Houston, Kincaid (Cizek, J. Morlock) PP 2:40; Penalties: Houston, Estes 2-roughing 13:31; Skyview, G. Fellman 2-roughing 13:03; Skyview, G. Fellman 2-hooking 8:46; Skyview, Berg 2-holding 4:39; PP: Houston 1-4, Skyview 0-1; Shots: Houston 19, Skyview 4; Saves: Dirshner 4, Kay 18.

Overtime: Scoring: Skyview, L. Fellman (T. Mercier) EV 6:17

Totals: PP: Houston 1-5, Skyview 1-6; Shots: Houston 51, Skyview 41; Saves: Dirsner 36, Kay 47.

Houston 9 Nikiski 0

First period: Scoring: Styers (J. Williams) EV 10:21, Houston, Bennett (J. Williams, Styers) EV 5:45; Penalties: Houston, Kincaid 2-tripping 9:05; Houston, Kincaid 2-boarding 5:12; PP: Houston 0-0, Nikiski 0-2; Shots: Houston 14, Nikiski 4; Saves: Houston, Dirshner 4, Nikiski, Hardesty 12.

Second period: Houston, Orth (Collins, Baskin) EV 10:07; Houston, Bennett (J. Williams, R. Morlock) PP 8:49; Houston, Cizek (Estes, Stull) EV 5:14; Houston, Bennett (J. Williams, Styers) EV 00:51; Penalties: Nikiski, Coulle 2-interference 9:00; Houston, Bertling 2-interference 8:30; PP: Houston 0-1, Nikiski 0-1; Shots: Houston 21, Nikiski 7; Saves: Dirshner 7, Hardesty 17.

Third period: Scoring: Houston, J. Williams (Styers, Englund) EV 4:25; Houston, Bertling (Kincaid, McClurg) EV 4:01; Houston, Kincaid (McClurg) EV 3:53; Penalties: Houston, Stull 2-slashing 14:32; Houston, Cizek 2-cross-checking 10:34, Nikiski, Winters 2-interference 9:04; Houston, Englund 2-tripping 8:38; Houston, J. Morlock 2-elbowing 00:24; PP: Houston 0-1, Nikiski 0-4; Shots: Houston 12, Nikiski 6; Saves: Houston, 6, Nikiski 9.

Totals: PP: Houston 0-2, Nikiski 0-7; Shots: Houston 47, Nikiski 17; Saves: Dirshner 17, Hardesty 38