Knights score in overtime to record conference win

SOLDOTNA — An early deficit didn’t keep the Colony Knights from grabbing a big North Star Conference win.

Colony scored three unanswered goals, including the game-winner in overtime, to earn the 3-2 win over the Soldotna Stars at the Soldotna Sports Center on Friday.

The Knights scored twice in a 30-second span to even the game at 2 early in the final frame.

Alex Svoboda tallied the first strike with 14:31 to play. Gabe Gamez then evened the count with 14:00 on the clock.

“It’s always good to see the guys fight back,” Colony coach Jaime Smith said. “They scratched and clawed and we got those two quick goals and were able to finish it off in overtime.”

In the extra frame, Colony’s Trevor Naylor beat Harvey with the Knights on the power play.

The power play was a result of a big call in the dying seconds of regulation, when SoHi’s Jarrett Urban had a goal negated because he was called for interference.

Although the call left Urban and the Stars upset, neither coach disputed it.

“I was actually kind of surprised he called it, because we hadn’t gotten many our way,” Smith said.

Added Soldotna head coach Aaron Swanson, “We’re 150 feet away from it and the ref is right there. Of course you always want calls to go your way and you don’t always agree with them, but he was right on it and could see much better than us.”

Kerkvliet gave the Stars a 1-0 lead when he scored unassisted after a faceoff with 10:26 remaining in the first period.

The Stars went up 2-0 halfway through the second as Pearson scored on the power play, burying a right-handed shot on assists from Max Hegge and Kerkvliet.

On Saturday, Colony scored a pair of first-period goals and Forrest Savel made 25 saves during a 2-0 win over Kenai. Anthony Kolendo and Mark Thygeson provided the scoring for CHS.

Colony 3, Soldotna 2

Friday, Soldotna

First period — 1. Soldotna, Kerkvliet (unassisted), 4:31. Penalties — Colony 2 for 4:00; Soldotna 1 for 2:00.

Second period — 2. Soldotna, Pearson (Hegge, Kerkvliet), pp, 7:44. Penalties — Colony 2 for 4:00; Soldotna 1 for 2:00.

Third period — 3. Colony, Svoboda (McJimsey, Naylor), 0:29; 4. Colony, Gamez (Naylor, Hartley), 1:00. Penalties — Colony 1 for 2:00; Soldotna 3 for 6:00.

Overtime — 5. Colony, Naylor (McJimsey, Svoboda), pp, 1:03. Penalties — none.

Penalties — Colony 5 for 10:00; Soldotna 5 for 10:00.

Shots on goal — Colony (1-6-7-1—15); Soldotna (11-11-5-0—27).

Goalies — Colony, Savel (27 shots, 25 saves); Soldotna, Harvey (15 shots, 12 saves).

Colony 2, Kenai 0

Saturday, Soldotna

First period — 1. Colony, Kolendo (unassisted), 1:50; 2. Colony, Thygeson (Lund), 6:30.

Second period — No scoring.

Third period — No scoring.

Penalties — Colony 4 for 8:00; Kenai Central 5 for 10:00.

Shots on goal — Colony (6-6-6—18); Kenai Central (10-8-7—25).

Goalies — Colony, Savel (25 shots, 25 saves); Kenai Central, Remsen (18 shots, 16 saves).