Moose unveil state hockey title banner

PALMER — On Feb. 2, one by one, members of the Palmer Moose varsity hockey team skated across the Menard Arena ice hoisting the First National Cup. Palmer used a 6-5 overtime win over Homer to win the ASAA Division II state championship, and the program’s first state title in 30 years.

Now, about 10 months later, the Moose once again lifted the cup. But this time on their home ice in front of their hometown fans. The Moose showed off the cup and unveiled their state championship banner Friday night at the MTA Events Center in Palmer.

“The big thing, it’s about the community,” Palmer assistant coach Rusty Belanger said. “That’s what we remember from last year when we won that game, it was who was sitting in the stands supporting. It wasn’t just Palmer, it was a Valley community thing. Huge for everybody.”

The win over Homer in the 2018-19 DII state tourney capped a wild ride for the Moose, the fourth seed in a tournament they needed an at-large bid to qualify for. Palmer also needed overtime to get past top-seeded Soldotna in the semifinals.

Palmer’s championship also came 30 years after what most remember as the most epic game in Valley high school hockey history. In 1989, Palmer edged Wasilla 5-4 in overtime to become the first Mat-Su program to earn a prep hockey championship.

As Palmer skated into the new season as the defending state champs, Belanger said it was a much different feeling that the start to the year before.

“At the beginning of the year we never would have pictured ourselves where we ended up,” Belanger said of the 2018-19 season.

More than a dozen players from the state championship squad are back this year.

“We knew what we had coming back, man power wise,” Belanger said.

Plus there’s an influx of new talent.

“We’ve got a great group of freshman and younger players,” Belanger said. “That’s exciting to know what the future holds if we can keep everybody together.”

Belanger said the key is building from last year.

“I would say just the camaraderie, everything we built last year being brought this year,” Belanger said.

Belanger said the Moose believe they have great potential this season.

“I think that’s the coaching staff’s thought and feeling. We can hang with anybody out here in the Valley and in our division. It’s going to be an any given Sunday thing,” Belanger said.

But Belanger said the Moose also know what’s at stake.

“We have a mountain ahead,” Belanger said. “Win something like that, you’re on top. Hardest part is staying there.”

In addition to the ceremony, the Moose also hit the ice and drilled Hutchison 11-0. Zach Nelius scored twice during a 19-second span early in the second. Carter Greco scored twice and bagged three assists. Jeremy Horacek also scored two goals. Eight different players lit the lamp for the Moose.

Palmer outshot Hutchison 53-9. The Hawks did not hold the puck in their offensive zone for nearly the first eight minutes of the game.

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.