Moose winless no more

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Frontiersman sports editor

PALMER - At the beginning of the prep hockey season, first-year Palmer head coach Dino Pagano said his players know where they stand in the North Star Hockey Conference. But they don't want to stay there.

Throughout the season, the Moose have been earning little victories as they work toward the days of scoring the big wins. Now the Moose head into the holiday break riding a two-game winning streak.

A day after earning their first win of the season, a 7-1 victory over Susitna Valley, the Moose drilled Nikiski 16-0 at the Palmer Ice Arena.

&#8220They were excited. It was an impossible energy to harness,” Pagano said. &#8220This is a game where we beat them like some of the better schools have been beating them. It wasn't a 3-2 win, or a 4-1 win. As a team we are coming together. The confidence level is much better.”

Freshman forwards Michael Hanson and Zach Richards each tallied a hat trick. Hanson gathered a team-high five assists, while Richards added three helpers.

Jeremy Wright led the Moose from the blueline with a goal and four assists. Tony Miller added a goal and three assists.

Hunter Richards scored a pair of goals. Andrew Ferguson, Tyler Virgin,

Dylan Schindele and Jerry Melin also scored for Palmer.

In a two-game span Palmer scored more goals than it had in its previous 10 losses, 23, and put 104 shots on goal.

Hunter Richards paced the Moose with a hat trick against Su Valley. Zach Richards recorded a pair of goals.

Miller and Virgin also scored.

&#8220There's definitely a more upbeat and relaxed feeling,” Pagano said. &#8220Every game is just helping us gain more and more confidence.”

Palmer has been on the doorstep for the last two weeks of the season, closing in on its first win. The Moose nearly upset Homer, allowing two late goals and losing 3-2, two weeks ago, and could have beaten Skyview the next day.

Last week Palmer showed grit in a pair of games on the Peninsula, despite losing 9-0 to region power Kenai and 8-4 to Soldotna.

&#8220After every game we walk away with a whole slew of new victories for this team,” Pagano said. &#8220We want to establish with these guys, they are winning by building this thing.”

The Moose are now off for two weeks. Palmer begins the second half of the season with a three-game road trip to the Kenai Peninsula. The Moose start the trip at Nikiski on

Jan. 5.