Moose sweep three games on the Kenai Peninsula

The Palmer hockey team defeated Kenai Central 3-2 in overtime Saturday at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Kenai in Railbelt Conference play.

The Moose completed a three-game sweep of a central peninsula road trip, topping Soldotna on Thursday and Kenai on Friday and Saturday.

Elijah Von Gunten scored 3:19 into the eight-minute overtime for the victory. Matias Broughton delivered the assist on the play.

Palmer moves to 8-5-1 overall and 5-0 in the league, while the Kardinals fall to 4-9-0 and 2-4-0.

After a scoreless first period, the Kards scored with 8:09 left in the second period to take the lead. Ky Calvert lit the lamp with help from Josiah Petty.

Palmer fought back to tie with 6:06 left in the period. Jakub Papezik scored on assists from Chase Ringler and Bryce Armstrong.

With 1:07 left in the second, Kenai grabbed the lead again. Logan Mese scored on a Sawyer Vann assist.

The Moose scored the goal that would force overtime with 10:32 left in the third period. Broughton had the goal, with help from Ringler and Armstrong.

Keagon O’Bryan made 29 saves for the Moose, while Seanna Swanson stopped 18 for the Kardinals.

Behind a shutout from Brody Joseph, Palmer defeated Kenai Central 4-0 on Friday.

Joseph stopped all 34 of the shots he saw for the Moose, while Evyn Witt made 15 saves for the Kardinals.

All of the scoring came in the second period. With 12:42 left, Mason O’Rourke scored with help from Bradford Heard and Stuart McQuillin.

The Moose then struck for three goals in the final five minutes of the second period.

Bryce Armstrong, on assists from Heard and Kinan Greco, started the barrage. Ryan Martin, with help from Chase Ringler and Bryce Horaceck, scored next, while Elijah Von Gunten, assisted by Denali Weaver and Armstrong, finished off the scoring.

The Palmer hockey team used a big third period to pick up a 7-3 Railbelt Conference victory over Soldotna on Thursday at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.

The game was tied at 3 headed to the third period, but the Stars ran into penalty trouble. Soldotna was whistled for seven penalties for 17 minutes in the period, then was given two more penalties for four minutes at the end of regulation.

The Moose, who had four penalties for eight minutes in the third, took advantage by scoring three power-play goals in the third period and another goal in four-on-four play.

Ryan Martin got the game-winner, with help from Bradford Heard and Mason O’Rourke, on a power-play goal with 11:46 left in the third.

With 6:51 left in the third, Xander Logan made it 5-3 when Elijah Von Gunten helped him scored a power-play goal. Just 40 seconds later, Von Gunter scored on the power play, with Logan returning the favor on an assist.

With 2:06 to play, Von Gunten finished off a hat trick with a four-on-four goal assisted by Matias Broughton.

In the first period, the Moose had jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Stuart McQuillin scored on assists from Broughton and Zander Anderson.

The Stars answered with 7:15 left in the first on a goal by Jace Applehans, assisted by Boone Theiler and Silas Larsen.

The Moose then went up 3-1 when O’Rourke scored on a Kinan Greco assist, and Von Gunten scored on the power play with help from McGuillin and Nate Wright.

With 1:18 left in the first, Aiden Burcham had an unassisted, short-handed goal for the Stars.

Then, Dawson Lockwood, assisted by Mykah Booth and Silas Larsen, scored the lone goal of the second period on a power-play strike.

Keagon O’Bryan had 17 saves for the Moose, while Jackson Purcell stopped 17 for the Stars.