Knights grab third in Division I state hockey tourney

The Colony Knights entered the weekend as the sixth seed, but ended their season as a top-three team in the state.

Colony blanked Chugiak 2-0 during the third-place game of the ASAA/First National Cup Division I state hockey tournament Saturday afternoon at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Colony goalie Tess Jorgensen made 31 saves in the win, and helped the Knights finish third for the second time in three years. Walter Neiser and Logan Lofand scored in the win over the fourth-seeded Mustangs.

Colony scored both of its goals within a three-minute span, early in the second period. Neiser scored at the 12:54 mark. Jace Albers picked up an assist on the play after grabbing a turnover in the Chugiak defensive zone.

Less than three minutes later, Lofland knocked in a rebound to push Colony’s lead to 2-0.

The win came after a 6-2 loss to West Valley in the state semifinals. Colony’s Traeton Adams made 41 saves in the loss. West Valley outshot the Knights 47-22.

Dane Joseph and Albers scored for Colony.

Colony held the lead twice in the loss. Joseph deflected the puck into the net off a shot from Jacob Seward-Jenski on the power play late in the first period to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.

Albers knocked in a rebound at the 8:43 mark of the second to give Colony a 2-1 advantage.

West Valley used five unanswered goals to get the win. Four goals came in the third period.

In an all-Valley first-round matchup, Colony’s Austin Fangmann came through late for the Knights. The sophomore forward sent a shot into the back of the net with six seconds left in regulation to lift the Knights to a 2-1 win over rival Wasilla during the quarterfinal round.

Fangmann created a turnover beyond the blue line and ripped a shot from the top of the right wing circle into the top shelf of the net to help sixth-seeded Colony upset the third-seeded Warriors. Matthew Ross also scored for Colony, giving the Knights a 1-0 lead with 5:43 left in the second.

Robert Mikulecky scored midway through the third to tie the score at 1. The junior fired a shot from the top of the left wing circle into the top corner of the net.

Wasilla finished 0-2 in the tournament. The Warriors suffered another heartbreaker on Friday, falling to seventh-seeded Dimond 4-3 in overtime.

Dimond’s Jensen Schaefer scored with 5:57 left in the extra period to give the Lynx the win.

Simon Giani, Matthew DeMaster and Karson McGrew scored for Wasilla.

The Warriors outshot Wasilla 38-29.

Albers represented Colony on the all-tournament team.

Contact the Frontiersman at sports@frontiersman.com.