Lathrop spoils Palmer’s state hockey title hopes

WASILLA — During a stretch of the 1980s, the Lathrop Malemutes were a legitimate Alaska high school hockey power.

Now 20 years later, the Malemutes may rejoined the state’s elite.

Lathrop used a 6-3 win over the Palmer Moose during the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Hockey Tournament semifinals at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla Friday night to advance to the 2009 state title game, the Malemutes’ first appearance in the state championship since 1987.

Lathrop, a winner of consecutive state titles in 1986 and 1987, became the first team from outside the Anchorage bowl since the 2000 season to skate in a state title game.

Palmer, meanwhile, moved into the tournament’s third-place game and suffered an 8-5 loss to Chugiak on Saturday afternoon.

Lathrop scored four times in the second to squash Palmer’s hopes of advancing to its first tile game in 20 years. Lathrop sophomore Taylor Munson scored twice and the Malemutes posted a pair of power-play goals within a 25-second span during the period.

“Right when we go that lead, we gathered around and said, this is it,” Lathrop sophomore defenseman Dominic Shuttleworth said.

Palmer sophomore Jared Hanson used some nifty stick work to beat Lathrop’s last man back and sneak a puck past Malemute goalie Trevor Evans early in the second to give Palmer the 2-1 lead.

But soon after, Lathrop tool full advantage of a 5-on-3 situation to re-take control. With Lathrop skating two men up, Shuttleworth knocked in a rebound that bounced off the back boards. Hajdukovich, who had a pair of assists in the period, blasted a shot from the point that took a bounce off the boards behind the net and came right back to Shuttleworth.

“I saw Hajdukovich take that shot, it came off the boards and I just took a whack at it,” Shuttleworth said.

Shuttleworth set up Lathrop’s next power-play goal, assisting on Munson’s first score of the period.

“That was the changing point of the game,” Hajdukovich said of the special teams scores.

Late in the period, Lathrop freshman Jacob Wolter helped chase Palmer starting netminder Jonas Naegele out of the game, with a breakaway goal that came with 4:36 remaining in the period. On Thursday, Naegele posted a 25-save shutout during Palmer’s first-round upset of West Anchorage.

Munson gave Moose reserve goalie Will Rauchenstein a rude welcome to the net, scoring on the junior netminder with 1:32 left in the second.

“That was huge,” Hajdukovich said of the Malemutes’ work in the second. “We got that (lead) and we ran with it..”

Hajdukovich gave the Malemutes the early 1-0 lead, slipping Lathrop’s first shot on goal past Naegele.

Hajdukovich took a pass from defenseman Brandon Carlson at the blue line, and with nothing but open space, the junior sniper skated to the left circle, turned toward Naegele and fired a shot right into the PHS net.

Palmer captain Zach Richards, Palmer’s three-goal hero against West, lifted his own rebound high into the Lathrop net to tie the score at 1-1 with 2:24 left. Junior Tyler Isaacs initially set up the play with his attempt on goal, a shot that bounced right to Richards, who skated from behind to the right side of the net. Richards immediately tried to back-hand the puck in, but Evans made the save. The puck then bounced right back to Richards, who lifted it over Evans’ shoulder.

Brooks Poe gave Lathrop the 6-2 lead with a power-play goal in the third period. Freshman Ivan Good scored for Palmer late in the game.

Lathrop finished the game 3-of-6 with the advantage, and left the Moose without a power-play opportunity in the game.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Lathrop 6, Palmer 3

4A semifinals

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Lathrop- Hajdukovich (B. Carlson) 11:02, 2. Palmer- Richards (Isaacs, M. Hanson) 2:42.

Second period — 3. Palmer- J. Hanson (unassisted), 4. Lathrop- Shuttleworth (Hajdukovich) 5x3 pp 11:50, 5. Lathrop- Munson (Shuttleworth) pp 11:25, 6. Lathrop- J. Wolter (unassisted) 4:36, 7. Munson (Hajdukovich) 1:32.

Third period — 8. Lathrop- Poe (unassisted) pp 8:50, 9. Palmer- Good (Ferguson) 1:57.

Shots on goal: Palmer 9-5-9—23 , Lathrop 4-14-4—22 ; Saves: Palmer- Naegele 3-5-x—8, Rauchenstein x-5-3—8, Lathrop- Evans 8-4-8—20; Power plays: Lathrop 3-for-6, Palmer 0-for-0.