Knights, Warriors win on final day of Palmer hockey tourney

PALMER — Colony and Wasilla capped the Palmer Hockey Showdown with victories during the final day of the round-robin tournament Saturday at the MTA Events Center in Palmer.

The Knights scored three unanswered goals during the win over the Mariners, and finished 3-0 in the tourney. Colony, one of three undefeated squads in the eight-team tournament, placed third in the tournament standings. Colony, Dimond and West all finished 3-0, and each squad allowed only four total goals. Dimond was crowned champion after outscoring opponents 26-4. West was second with a goal differential of 11. Colony had a goal differential of eight.

Blake Reid, Mitchell Diltz and Owen MacDonald all scored for the Knights during the win over the Mariners. Lee Lowe gave Homer the first lead of the game, with a power play goal late in the first period.

Colony outshot Homer 36-18. Hunter Warren made 33 saves for the Mariners. Bryant Marks stopped 18 shots for the Knights.

Wasilla used a pair of third-period goals to beat Soldotna 4-2 on Saturday.

Soldotna’s Alex Montague scored with 23 seconds left in the second period to tie the score at 2. Carson LeCren provided the game-winner for the Warriors with a goal at the 5:48 mark of the third. Zach Roush added an empty-netter.

Aaron Campbell made 17 saves for Wasilla, and Soldotna’s Mackenzie Powell finished with 20 saves in the loss.

In other action Saturday, Dimond crushed host Palmer 12-1 and West skated by Juneau 8-1.

Palmer’s Zach Nelius tied the game at 1 with a power play goal in the first, but Dimond answered with 11 unanswered.

Colony 3, Homer 1

Palmer Hockey Showdown

Saturday, MTA Events Center

First period — 1. Homer- Lowe (Pitzman, Nevak) pp 2:35; 2. Colony- Reid (Jellich, Ewing) 1:08.

Second period — 3. Colony- Diltz (Reid, McLaughlin) 12:09.

Third period — 4. Colony- MacDonald (McLaughlin) 7:03.

Shots on goal: Colony 13-12-11—36, Homer 8-5-5—18; Saves: Colony- Marks 7-5-5—17, Homer- Warren 12-12-10—33.

Wasilla 4, Soldotna 2

Palmer Hockey Showdown

Saturday, MTA Events Center

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Wasilla- A. Goff (Mulneaux) 7:06; 2. Wasilla- Matson (Wolcott) 6:16; 3. Soldotna- Medcoff (Brantley III) 5:25; 4. Soldotna- Montague (Medcoff) 0:23.

Third period — 5. Wasilla- LeCren (Bouma, Matson) 5:48; 6. Wasilla- Roush (unassisted) en 0:33.

Shots on goal: Soldotna 6-9-4—19, Wasilla 7-9-8—24; Saves: Soldotna- Powell 7-7-6—20, Wasilla- Campbell 6-7-4—27.