Moose skaters finish 1-1-1 in Fairbanks

PALMER — West Valley needed a pair of third-period goals to get past upset minded Palmer Saturday afternoon in Fairbanks.

West Valley, the defending Mid-Alaska Conference champion, rallied to score a 2-1 victory over Palmer. Zach Nelius scored in the second period to give the Moose a 1-0 lead. Moose goalie TJ O’Rourke made 43 saves in the loss.

A night after skating to a tie against a defending state champion, Palmer earned a win on the road.

A half-dozen different players scored and Palmer earned a 6-3 nonconference win over North Pole Friday night at the Polar Ice Arena in North Pole.

Palmer tied Monroe Catholic, the defending Division II state champs, Thursday night in Fairbanks.

Noah Keil, Owen Hayes, Jack Matlock, Easton Armstrong, Luke Theisen and Ethan Welch all scored for the Moose. Darian Wilson bagged a pair of assists.

Thursday, Monroe Catholic forced overtime, but Palmer goalie Cale Winder helped the Moose preserve a tie against a defending state champion in Fairbanks.

Winder stopped seven shots in extra period and Palmer skated to a 5-5 tie with the Rams, who skated to the Division II state title last winter.

Nathan Hooks and Luke Theisen scored goals during a two-minute span early in the third period to give the Moose a lead. Hooks, who notched a hat trick, used his third goal of the game to tie the score at 4. Theisen gave Palmer the 5-4 advantage at the 11:35 mark of third.

Less than four minutes later, Riley Ott scored for Monroe to tie the score at 5.

Hooks led Palmer with the three goals in the tie. Ethan Welch also scored for the Moose. O’Rourke made 34 saves.

West Valley 2, Palmer 1

Saturday, Fairbanks

First period — No scoring.

Second period — 1. Palmer- Nelius (Hooks) 12:14.

Third period — 2. West Valley- Hafele (Savereide, Ruppert) 14:36; 3. West Valley- Sadler (Ruppert, Savereide) 3:54.

Shots on goal: Palmer 2-7-6—15, West Valley 12-15-18—45; Saves: Palmer- O’Rourke 12-15-16—43, West Valley- Atkinson 2-6-6—14.

Palmer 6, North Pole 3

Friday, North Pole

First period — 1. Palmer- Keil (Scully, Wilson) 11:36; 2. Palmer- Hayes (unassisted) 4:17; 3. North Pole- Doty (Crutcher, Keith) 1:32; 4. Palmer- Matlock (Hooks) 1:05.

Second period — 5. North Pole- Tesch (unassisted) 13:52; 6. Palmer- Armstrong (unassisted) 13:09; 7. North Pole- Doty (Peters, Kuykendall) 10:41; 8. Palmer- Theisen (unassisted) 2:16.

Third period — 9. Palmer- Welch (Nelius, Wilson) 4:45.

Shots on goal: Palmer 7-16-4—27, North Pole 14-13-9—36; Saves: Palmer- Winder 13-11-9—33; North Pole 4-14-3—21.

Palmer 5, Monroe Catholic 5

Thursday, Fairbanks

First period — 1. Monroe- Fritze (Ott) 10:36.

Second period — 2. Palmer- Hooks (unassnsted) 13:31 3. Palmer- Hooks (unassisted) 12:53; 4. Monroe- Robinson (Bartels) 9:36; 5. Palmer- Welch (unassisted) 7:50; 6. Monroe- Fritze (Ott, Sanborn) 1:22; 7. Monroe- Ott (Sanborn, Fritze) 1:12.

Third period — 8. Palmer- Hooks (Thiesen) 13:16; 9. Theisen (Avezac) 11:35; 10. Monroe- Ott (Sanborn) 7:53.

Shots on goal: Palmer 9-10-6-3—28, Monroe 10-17-5-7—39; Saves: Palmer- O’Rourke/Winder 10-14-3-7—34, Passilas Monroe 9-7-4-3—23.