Kardinals, Warriors skate to 1-1 tie

SOLDOTNA — Overtime didn’t determine a winner as the Kenai Kardinals and Wasilla Warriors skated to a 1-1 tie in a North Star Conference contest Thursday at the Soldotna Sports Center.

The Kards (3-4-2) host Palmer at 6 p.m. today on the same ice.

Kenai goaltender Keegan Remsen and counterpart Zach Eastham stole the show in Thursday’s contest, combining for 78 saves.

Remsen made 46, including a few game-savers, while Eastham notched 32.

Remsen made the save of the night with about four minutes to play in overtime when he thwarted a three-on-zero breakaway, denying a Cooper Hanson shot from close range to preserve the tie.

It also looked as though the Warriors had the go-ahead goal inside the eight-minute mark of the final period, but Remsen got a glove on a shot by Chancie Hanson. The rebound bounced to a Wasilla player, but Kenai Central’s goalie recovered to block the follow-up shot.

Wasilla took a 1-0 lead with 8:02 to play in the second period when Troy Verplancke finished assists from Brett Keene and Rell Sturdevant.

But the Kards found the equalizer on a power play at the 5:30-mark as Jake Eubank buried a shot with 1:19 remaining on the advantage. Zack Zulkanycz and Matthew Morse earned assists. It was a clean game as the squads combined for six infractions.

Wasilla 1, Kenai Central 1 OT

Thursday, Kenai

Wasilla 0 1 0 0—1

Kenai Central 0 1 0 0—1

First period – No scoring. Penalties – Wasilla 1 for 2:00; Kenai Central none.

Second period – 1. Wasilla, Verplancke (Sturdevant, Keene), 6:58; 2. Kenai Central, Eubank (Morse, Zulkanycz), pp, 9:30. Penalties – Wasilla 3 for 6:00; Kenai Central none.

Third period – No scoring. Penalties – Wasilla none; Kenai Central 1 for 2:00.

Overtime – No scoring. Penalties – Wasilla 1 for 2:00; Kenai Central none.

Penalties – Wasilla 5 for 10:00; Kenai Central 1 for 2:00.

Shots on goal – Wasilla (14-9-15-5—43); Kenai Central (14-13-5-4—37).

Goalies – Wasilla, Eastham (37 shots, 36 saves); Kenai Central, Remsen (43 shots, 42 saves).