Moose score wild OT win over Warriors in Big Lake tourney

BIG LAKE — There’s a term at the poker table, “a chip and a chair.”

Regardless of how much you’re down, if you still have a poker chip and a seat at the table, there’s still a chance.

Friday night, the Palmer Moose trailed by two goals heading into the final minute of regulation. Rather than a seat at the table, the Moose still had time left on the ice.

And Palmer went all in.

The Moose scored twice with the extra attacker during the final 50 seconds of the third period to force overtime, and senior Josh Meyers scored late in the tiebreaker to give the Moose a thrilling 6-5 win overall rival Wasilla during the semifinal round of the Big Lake Lions Christmas Classic at the Big Lake Recreation Center.

“I think it shows there’s no quit in this team,” Palmer head coach Jeff Varvil said after the win.

Meyers took a pass from teammate Darren Fish, found space in the bottom of the left wing circle, and slipped a low shot into the near side of the Wasilla net with 1 minute and 24 seconds left in overtime to give Palmer the win. The goal gave Meyers the hat trick for the night, and pushed Palmer into the all-Valley final of the Big Lake tourney. The Moose face rival Colony Saturday at 7 p.m. in the championship.

Meyers, who also netted a first-period goal for Palmer, scored one of the two late goals that forced overtime. With Palmer trailing 5-3, the Moose goalie pulled, and Palmer skating with the 6-on-5 advantage, Meyers flipped the puck into the Warriors net to narrow the gap. With the Moose goalie pulled once again, and another 6-on-5 advantage, defenseman Valary Dietz scored with 17 seconds left to knot the game at 5.

After trailing early, Wasilla jumped ahead in the second period and was close to cementing the game late.

“Wasilla outworked us in the second period and most of the third,” Varvil said.

The Warriors scored four times on the power play. Two of those, a pair of Cody Butcher goals, came during a span of 54 seconds in the third period.

Palmer built a 2-0 lead with a Bowen Webb shorthanded goal and Myers’ first goal of the game. Garrett Conroy cut the Moose lead in half, scoring for Wasilla with 4:43 left in the first period. Midway through the second, Alex Engan scored Wasilla’s first power play goal of the game midway through the second to tie the game at 2. Late in the second period, Porter Schachle scored with the advantage to give Wasilla its first lead of the game.

Wasilla extended that lead late in the third, taking full advantage of a 5-on-3 opportunity. With the Moose two men short, Tyler Lutz sent a pass across the zone to Butcher. With the puck at the top of the left wing circle, Butcher slapped a shot in to give Wasilla the 4-3 lead. Seconds later, Butcher, again on the left wing, snuck a shot from the circle just under the crossbar of the Palmer net to push Wasilla’s lead to a pair of goals.

The rivals combined for 77 shots in the game. Cody Grogan made 36 saves for the Moose. Zach Curry made 30 saves for the Warriors.

With the loss, Wasilla moves into the third-place game and will play Soldotna Saturday at 5 p.m. Soldotna suffered a 5-1 loss to Colony in the other semifinal.

Colony 5, Soldotna 1

Colony used 63 shots and a Jacob Kirsch hat trick to beat Soldotna 5-1 Friday.

Kirsch scored twice in the first period to help Colony grab a 2-0 lead. His first goal of the game came on the power play. The Colony forward added a goal with 26 seconds left in the second period. Isaiah Hall and Bryce Crosta also scored for the Knights.

Trevor Whitthus scored the lone goal for the Stars.

Colony outshot Soldotna 63-16 in the win. Billy Yoder made 58 saves for the Stars, including 24 in the second period.

Houston 7, Kenai 4

Tristan Hracha, Sam Fonov and Reed Humphreys each scored twice to lead Houston to a 7-4 win over Kenai Central during consolation round action of the Big Lake Lions Christmas Classic Friday in Big Lake.

Austin Zweifel also scored for Houston.

Levi Mese, Ivan Mercado, Jakeb O’Brien and Tyler Lingafelt each scored for Kenai.

With the win, host Houston moves on to face East Anchorage Saturday at 2 p.m. in the fourth-place game. Kenai will cap its tournament against Lathrop Saturday at 11 a.m.

East edged Lathrop 4-3 on Friday.

Palmer 6, Wasilla 5

Big Lake Lions Christmas Classic semifinals

Friday, Big Lake Rec Center

First period — 1. Palmer- Webb (Fish) sh 10:48; 2. Palmer- Meyers (Shults, Richards) 8:24; 3. Wasilla- Conroy (Tubbs, Schachle) 4:43.

Second period — 4. Wasilla- Engan (Brunnhoelzl, Harren) pp 7:38; 5. Wasilla- Schachle (Tubbs, Stephens) pp 3:06.

Third period — 6. Palmer- Dietz (unassisted) 12:04; 7. Wasilla- Butcher (Lutz, Conroy) pp 3:54; 8. Wasilla- Butcher (Schachle, Stephens) pp 3:05; 9. Palmer- Meyers (unassisted) ea 0:50; 10. Palmer- Dietz (unassisted) ea 0:17.

Overtime — 11. Palmer- Meyers (Fish, Dietz) 1:24.

Shots on goal: Palmer 8-9-12-7—36, Wasilla 10-15-10-6—41; Saves: Palmer- Grogan 6-9-9-6—30, Wasilla- Curry 9-13-8-6—36.

Colony 5, Soldotna 1

Big Lake Lions Christmas Classic

Friday, Big Lake Rec Center

First period — 1. Colony- Kirsch (Thiele, Smith) pp 9:17; 2. Colony- Kirsch (Branch) 7:37.

Second period — 3. Soldotna- Whittus (unassisted); 4. Colony- I. Hall (Monaco) 8:10; 5. Colony- Kirsch (Riekena) 0:26.

Third period — 6. Colony- Crosta (unassisted) 12:35.

Shots on goal: Soldotna 5-7-4—16, Colony 15-26-22—63; Saves: Soldotna- Yoder 13-24-21—58; Colony- Gamez 5-6-4—15.

Houston 7, Kenai 4

Big Lake Lions Christmas Classic

Friday, Big Lake Rec Center

First period — 1. Houston- Hracha (unassisted) 9:24; 2. Houston- Fonov (Hracha, Humphreys) 2:34; 3. Houston- Humphreys (A. Natekin, Y. Natekin) 2:00.

Second period — 4. Houston- Hracha (Fonov, Smolden) 10:48; 5. Kenai- Mese (Lingafelt) 5:01.

Third period — 6. Kenai- Mercado (O’Brien, Gabriel) 14:14; 7. Kenai- O’Brien (Gelosa, Gabriel) 13:48; 8. Houston- Fonov (Hracha) 12:58; 9. Houston- Zweifel (Gillespie) 12:16; 10. Houston- Humphreys (unassisted) 5:11; 11. Kenai- Lingafelt (Hagel, Mercado) 0:52.

Shots on goal: Kenai 16-12-13—41, Houston- 12-15-19—46, Saves: Kenai- Williams 9-14-16—39, Houston- Beauvais 16-11-10—39.