Knights edge Warriors to win North Star hockey title

PALMER — The fourth time’s the charm for the Colony Knights. And with its first win in four meetings against rival Wasilla this season, Colony grabbed its third straight North Star Conference title.

Colony edged Wasilla 3-2 during the final game of the NSC Championships Saturday at the MTA Events Center in Palmer.

“It feels great. We knew we’d peak at the right time,” Colony forward Jake Hessinger said after celebrating with teammates on the MTA ice.

Colony had to withstand a final Wasilla push, which included 17 shots by the Warriors and a key stretch on special teams. Wasilla opened the final frame with the 5-on-3 advantage for the first 1 minute, 41 seconds of the third.

“I thought the biggest part of the whole thing was killing that 5-on-3,” Colony head coach Jamie Smith said.

The Knights entered the third with a 3-1 advantage. It’s the same lead Colony held against Wasilla during its regular-season finale, a game the Warriors rallied to win 4-3.

“Three-to-one is the worst lead in hockey from what I know,” Hessinger said. “Especially with that 5-on-3. Killing that off really helped us.”

Colony suffered a pair of 4-3 losses to the Warriors during the regular season. Wasilla also skated past Colony 7-5 during the semifinal round of the Big Lake Lions Classic in December.

“It feels pretty good, especially when it counts,” Smith said. “This is a big one for us.”

Colony was also lifted by the play of senior goalie Joey Diltz.

“Joey Diltz played phenomenal,” Smith said. “This is what he does. When it’s tournament time, he gets it done.”

Diltz made 43 saves in the victory, including 16 in the final period.

“He was key tonight,” Hessinger said. “We have a lot of confidence with him back there. We can go forward and try to put the puck in the net.”

Tristan Avoletta scored a pair of goals for the Knights in the win. Otto Thiele also scored. Avoletta gave Colony its first lead, scoring with 8:21 left in the first. Right off the draw, Kolten Ketchum put a shot on goal. Thiele kept the play alive in front of the Wasilla net, and Avoletta was there to hammer in the rebound.

Early in the second, Thiele gave Colony the 2-0 lead. Thiele led a rush up the ice, and sent a puck high in the net after splitting a pair of defenders. Late in the second, Avoletta scored again, deflecting an attempt from Foster Riekena into the net.

Wasilla was able to cut Colony’s lead to a single goal twice in the game. Only 30 seconds after Thiele scored, Garrett Conroy cut Colony’s lead in half and made it a 2-1 game. With 4:23 left in the third, Porter Schachle scored for the Warriors. Russell Harren took a pass of the left wing boards, and sent a pass to Schachle, who buried the puck from his spot on the inside of the right wing circle.

Aaron Campbell made 27 saves for the Warriors.

Both Colony and Wasilla will move ahead to the ASAA First National Cup 4A state hockey tournament, which starts Thursday at the Menard Arena in Wasilla. The official bracket will be released by ASAA on Monday.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Colony 3, Wasilla 2

North Star Conference championship

Saturday, MTA Events Center

First period — 1. Colony- Avoletta (Thiele, Ketchum) 8:21.

Second period — 2. Colony- Thiele (unassisted) 13:12; 3. Wasilla- Conroy (Larson, Engan) 12:42; 4. Colony- Avoletta (Riekena) 3:06.

Third period — 5. Schachle (Harren, Clark) 4:23.

Shots on goal: Colony 10-16-4—30, Wasilla 15-13-17—45; Saves: Colony- Diltz 15-12-16—43, Wasilla- Campbell 9-14-4—27.