Knights skate past Moose

PALMER — The Colony Knights started slow, but found a way to finish strong.

Colony tallied 20 shots in the second period and four unanswered goals during the final two periods of a 5-1 win over the Palmer Moose Tuesday at the MTA Events Center in Palmer.

“They didn’t give up,” Colony head coach Ron Stadem said after the win. “We started out a little sluggish, picked up some momentum, and then we continued building. That was fantastic.”

Kaden Ketchum provided the eventual game-winner, snapping a wrister from the right wing circle just inside the top corner of far side of the net, at the 6:47 mark. He was one of five different Knights to score.

“All three lines were buzzing,” Stadem said.

Stadem said a team effort allowed the Knights to play an up-tempo style that proved to be successful.

“Everybody contributed. Everybody was working hard, working their hearts out. It was nice to see,” Stadem said. “It was really nice to see the tempo picking up. Aggressive in the forecheck, aggressive in the backcheck. That’s what we’ve been talking about all year long. We have the talent to play that type of game. You just have to get the kids to believe.”

Kaylee Norman stopped 18 of the 19 shots she saw in the Knights net.

“Kaylee was fantastic. She’s kept us in games all year long,” Stadem said.

One of Norman’s biggest saves came late in the first period. Palmer’s Zach Nelius beat the final defender down the ice, and flipped a shot from the bottom of the circles. Norman made the save to keep the game scoreless.

“She’s getting more and more confidence. She’s been a savior for us,” Stadem said.

Jack Holman, who led the Knights with a goal and two assists, knocked in a rebound early in the second period to give Colony at 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Palmer’s Owen Hayes, skated to his right and snapped a shot into the far side of the net to tie the score at 1.

After Ketchum gave the Knights the 2-1 lead, David Moore pushed his team’s advantage to a pair late in the period. With the Knights on the power play, Moore skated around the backside of the net, and set up at the right wing circle where he fired a shot for the score.

Owen MacDonald knocked a shot off the post and in, and Mitchell Diltz added a late score.

Colony High School remains closed following the Nov. 30 earthquake, and is not set to reopen until Friday. Palmer High reopened Dec. 6. The closures have interrupted team practice schedules. Stadem said he didn’t see it as a factor in Tuesday’s game because all of the teams in the area are facing the same problem.

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

Colony 5, Palmer 1

Tuesday, MTA Events Center

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Colony- Holman (MacDonald, Diltz) 11:45; 2. Palmer- Hayes (Matlock) 11:00; 3. Colony- Ketchum (Moore, Ewing) 6:47; 4. Colony- Moore (Holman) 2:22.

Third period — 5. Colony- MacDonald (Holman) 10:16; 6. Colony- Diltz (McLaughlin) 1:43.

Shots on goal: Colony 5-20-10—35, Palmer 10-5-4—19; Saves: Colony- Norman 10-4-4—18, Palmer- O’Rourke 5-17-8—30.