Knights win Palmer hockey tourney

PALMER — After Colony junior forward Mitchell Diltz supplied the game-winner during a 2-1 win over Monroe Catholic Friday night, Knights head coach Jamie Smith said once another Colony junior forward, Tea’jean Evans, gets going, things could go pretty well for the Knights.

The following day, Evans proved Smith’s point.

Evans scored a pair of goals, and helped the Knights earn a 5-3 nonconference win over Dimond Saturday, during the final day of the Palmer Hockey Showdown at the MTA Events Center in Palmer.

“He played really good. He definitely turned it up tonight,” Smith said.

The forward line of Evans, senior Jake Hessinger and sophomore Dane Jellich accounted for all but one Colony goal, a late empty-netter, in the win. Hessinger finished with a goal and three assists. Jellich added a goal and two helpers.

“Part of it was the fact their forecheck was tenacious,” Smith said of the line.

Smith said the amount of time the Knights were forced to spend on the penalty kill also played a factor. Colony’s other top forward line includes Diltz, Cooper Smith and Foster Riekena. Colony was tagged with six penalties during the first two periods, including four in the second. Smith needed Cooper Smith and Riekena on the penalty kill. The Evans-Hessinger-Jellich line saw the 5-on-5 action, and was able to capitalize for the Knights.

“Cooper and Foster killed a lot of those penalties. Jake’s line came out right after and took advantage,” Smith said.

Smith said he shortened the bench and used about 10 forwards in the game. He praised the work of sophomore Ethan Korynta who played key minutes for the Knights.

With the win, Colony locked up the Palmer Hockey Showdown team title. The Knights and Homer both finished 3-0 in the three-day round-robin tournament that also featured Wasilla, Eagle River, Lathrop, Monroe Catholic and host Palmer. Goal differential was the tiebreaker. Colony outscored its opponents 11-5 in the tournament.

Overall, Smith said he saw the weekend, and the game against Dimond in particular, as a good way to gauge where the Knights are at this point in the season.

“Dimond, that’s a good hockey team, a top-end team,” Smith said. “For us, I feel pretty good about where we’re at.”

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

Colony 5, Dimond 3

Palmer Hockey Showdown

Saturday, MTA Events Center

First period — 1. Colony- Hessinger (Jellich) 13:10.

Second period — 2. Colony- Evans (Jellich, Hessinger) 13:28; 3. Dimond- Porter (Hickel, Gibson) 11:02; 4. Dimond- Gibson (Graeber, Maxwell) 5:14.

Third period — 5. Colony- Evans (Hessinger) 9:09; 6. Colony- Jellich (Ketchum, Hessinger) 6:15; 7. Colony- Smith (Doss) 00:26 en; 8. Dimond- Anaruk (Hausinger, Hall) 00:14.

Shots on goal: Dimond 17-7-19—43, Colony 7-11-9—27; Saves: Dimond- Driskell 7-11-5—23, G. Gibson x-x-4—4.