Knights win thrilla' in Wasilla

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Sports Editor

WASILLA -- Most likely the best Region III prep hockey game fans will see this season won't even be counted in the final Region III standings.

Colony, in one of three scheduled games against Valley rival Wasilla, used a Teemu Maki overtime goal to score a 3-2 win over the Warriors at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena on Friday.

Colony, 7-3-1 overall and 4-1-0 in Region III play, earned a 4-2 win over Wasilla on Nov. 24 in an official Region III game and closes the 2004-05 regular season with another Region III match against Wasilla on Jan. 29. But Friday's contest was listed as a nonconference game according to the schedule.

Regardless of how the game was classified, Colony and Wasilla played as if they were skating for the Region III title.

"I knew it was going to be a battle right from the start," Colony head coach Dale Mattson said.

Ryan Pauling and Chase Allington scored for the Knights, while Carl Brent and Bryce Becker tallied scores during regulation for the Warriors, before Maki was able to post the game winner.

Just less than two minutes into the overtime period, with the puck in the Wasilla zone, Pauling won the face-off and dished the puck to his linemate, Maki.

Maki, from Finland and at CHS as part of an exchange program, flipped the puck into the upper shelf of the Wasilla net.

"It was a lucky shot," Maki said.

Maki said he was blinded on the play, but flipped the shot toward the Wasilla net and the puck snuck through traffic and by Warrior netminder Ronnie Walker. Though lucky, the blind shot in traffic follows the advice the Colony coaching staff preached to the Knights during the game -- be more aggressive on net.

"That's what we told them to do, put the puck on net and go for the rebound," Mattson said.

Wasilla took a 1-0 lead early in the second period. With the man advantage, Brent took a pass at the point and put a slapshot on the Colony goal. Brent's shot deflected off a player in front of the net and bounced by Knight netminder Tyrel Henkel and into the goal. With just more than two minutes left in the second, with the Knights on the power play, Pauling took a pass from Colony captain Garrett Wilkins near the boards on the right side of the ice, and with an open lane, walked the puck up to the Warrior net and squeezed the puck through with a five-hole shot.

"He was in the corner, not one was pressuring him and he just walked in the shot," Mattson said.

Wasilla took the 2-1 lead early in the third period, as another forward took advantage of a wide-open lane. Warrior senior Bryce Becker skated in free toward the Colony net and was able to slip the 1-on-1 shot by Henkel.

"It was a miscommunication," Mattson said.

Mattson said both the forward defenseman on that side thought the other was going to pick up Becker and the Warrior forward skated in, unmanned.

With 6:35 left in regulation Chase Allington posted the game-tying goal for the Knights. With a flurry of action in front of Walker, Allington muscled in the puck to tie the

score.

In a game that featured numerous quality scoring opportunities for both squads, both goaltenders had stellar outings.

"It came to be a goalie duel," Mattson said.

Walker registered 36 saves in the game, and stopped 14 of Colony's 15 shots in the third period. Henkel stopped 25 shots, with his biggest coming 18 seconds into the overtime period. Wasilla freshman Adam Friese took the puck on a breakaway, but Henkel stoned the Warrior scoring opportunity.

Both teams are now done for the 2004 portion of the 2004-05 season. The Knights return to action Jan. 7 against Palmer at the soon-to-be opened Palmer Ice Arena, while the Warriors host East Anchorage Jan. 7 at the Menard rink.

Colony 6, Homer 0

Ryan Pauling netted a hat trick and Tyrel Henkel posted a shutout in a 6-0 nonconference win over Homer on Saturday.

Pauling scored an even- strength goal and posted a powerplay tally during a four-goal second period for the Knights. Pauling recorded his third goal in the third period.

Justin Grey, Chase Allington and Chris Arentz also scored for Colony.

Henkel stopped all of Homer's 24 shots.

On Friday Homer defeated Palmer 15-0.