Local pucksters back in action

After a two-week break for the holidays, the local prep pucksters will be back on the ice this week starting with tonight's contest that matches Palmer and Bartlett at the MacDonald Ice Arena in Eagle River.

Each of the Valley 4A hockey clubs had at least a fair amount of success during the first half of the 2003-04 season. Wasilla is off to its best start since well before the beginning of the Eric Troisi era.

In his second year as the Warrior mentor, Troisi has led the Warriors to a 4-1 Region III record. Wasilla earned its first win over Colony in six years, and stands just one game behind the Kenai Kardinals. Wasilla has also earned votes in the last two 4A state hockey polls.

The Warriors' 6-7 non-conference record is highlighted by a 4-0 shutout of Bartlett that came just prior to the beginning of the winter break.

Colony stands at 2-3 in Region III action. After dropping a pair of games to Wasilla and Palmer early in the season, the Knights went 2-1 on a December road trip to the Kenai Peninsula to move into third place.

The Moose are in fifth place in the conference with a 1-3-1 record. Palmer earned a win over the Knights and skated to a 5-5 tie with Skyview on the road.

The Moose do have at least one player that could help them move up the conference ladder. Spencer Galvin leads all Valley 4A players with 22 points. Galvin has posted 11 goals and 11 assists in just the first half of his freshman campaign.

Tied with Galvin for the Valley lead in goals is Colony senior Ryan Pauling. His 11 goals and seven assists rank him second in the Valley with 18 points.

Galvin and Pauling are the only local 4A players to post double-digits in goals thus far this season.

Including Galvin, the Moose have three of the top five scorers in the Valley. Senior Kent Blaylock (7-7-14) is third with 14 points and junior Alex Senta (8-5-13) is fifth with 13 points.

Pauling is one of four Colony Knights with 10 or more points.

Dean Shultz (8-2-10), Chase Allington (4-6-10) and Chris Arentz (4-6-10) each have 10 points.

Andrew Tumbleson currently leads the Warriors with eight goals. The senior also has a team-high 14 points.

Jeremiah Dargis, a freshman defenseman, leads the Warriors with nine assists and is second on the squad with 12 points.

Wasilla freshman Ronnie Walker leads the Valley large-school goaltenders with a saves percentage of 89.7. Palmer's Kyle Berti is second at 85.3 and Colony's Tyrel Henkel has stopped 83.6 percent of the shots he has faced.

Following Palmer's contest tonight, Wasilla will be back in action Wednesday against West, 6:30 p.m. at the Ben Boekee Arena in Anchorage. Colony returns to face Dimond, Thursday in Anchorage.

The next home game is Thursday when Tri-Valley High School visits the Brett Memorial Ice Arena to face Palmer.

Local pucksters on

title-winning team

Four local prep hockey players helped their squad to a title in the Richmond International Hockey Tournament in Richmond, British Columbia over the holiday break.

Colony High School's Patrick Geary and Ryan Pauling and Wasilla's Andrew Tumbleson and Spencer Syverston.

The group skated for the Mustang Alaska Blue Devils in the Tier II Under-17 division.

The Blue Devils finished 6-0-1 in the tourney.