Knights skate into region title game, earn state tourney berth

SOLDOTNA — Last season, the Colony Knights advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 2006.

Friday, Colony made sure it wouldn’t take another nine years to make it to state.

Colony used five unanswered goals to post a 5-1 win over rival Wasilla during the semifinal round of the North Star Conference Championships at the Soldotna Sports Center in Soldotna.

With the win, Colony earned one of the conference’s two automatic berths to the state tournament, which starts Thursday at the Menard Arena in Wasilla. The Knights also moved forward to the North Star title match Saturday at 4:15 p.m., where they will face Soldotna, which stunned top-seeded Palmer 3-1 in the other semifinal match.

Otto Thiele scored a pair of goals for the Knights. Cooper Smith, Jacob Kirsch and Isaiah Hall also for the back of the net for the Knights, which outshot Wasilla 25-17.

After a scoreless first period, Dillon Matson gave the Warriors the first lead, scoring with 10:38 left in the second period. About three minutes later, Thiele answered with his first goal of the game. Smith recorded the eventual game-winner with 5:21 left in the second period.

Colony 5, Wasilla 1

North Star Conference semifinals

Friday, Soldotna Sports Center

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Wasilla- D. Matson (Harren, Holohan) 10:38; 2. Colony- Thiele (unassisted) 7:33; 3. Colony- Smith (Thiele, Branch) 5:21; 4. Colony- Kirsch (unassisted) 4:40.

Third period — 5. Colony- Thiele (unassisted) 12:48; 6. Colony- I. Hall (Cole, McLaughlin) 2:25.

Shots on goal: Colony 12-9-4—25, Wasilla 4-6-7—16; Saves: Colony- Diltz 4-5-7—16, Wasilla- Curry 12-6-2—20.