Mat-Su Ravens earn first win in program history

WASILLA — It was a feat two years in the making.

With a 3-2 win over Fairbanks at the Brett Memorial Ice Arena on Saturday, the Mat-Su Ravens girls hockey squad posted its first win in program history.

Sarah Srebernak, Amy Glatz and Louisa Good each scored as the Ravens built a 3-0 lead in the win.

Dominique Schuetter earned the win in the Mat-Su net, and didn’t allow a goal for more than two-and-a-half periods of play.

Dudley Boehm, a longtime hockey coach in the Valley and the head coach of the Ravens program, said he was elated to finally see his players get the opportunity to celebrate victory.

“I’m really proud of them,” said Boehm, who helped lead the Houston High School varsity hockey program to numerous state championships as an assistant coach. “It’s nice to see them get a win. They never quit, even after getting pummeled by some of the better teams.”

The win proved to be the perfect send off for the team’s two seniors, Glatz and Brandy Stevenson. The Ravens finished the season with 15 players, and with only two losses to graduation, Mat-Su could return as many as 13 players next year.

Mat-Su has skated in a number of close games in the past two seasons, but until Saturday, had not been able to clinch the victory. Boehm said an elevated confidence is a big reason why his team was able to make program history.

Boehm said his squad began to show faith in their talents this season, and realized, “hey, we can really do this.”

In addition to rapidly improving fundamentals, Boehm said his players have really incorporated the mental side of the game into their play.

“They’re recognizing what’s going on,” Boehm said.

Team work has also been huge, Boehm said.

The Mat-Su Ravens is the Valley’s lone high school hockey program just for girls. The team includes players from across the Valley who attend both public and private schools. The program is also open to home-schooled students.