North Pole edges Houston by 1 goal

NORTH POLE — Austin Cote scored two goals, including the game-winner, lifting North Pole to a 5-4 victory over the Houston Hawks in the Patriots’ regular-season finale and a Mid Alaska Conference high school hockey game on Thursday night at the Polar Ice Arena.

Houston’s Rye Humphreys tied the game at 4 with his third goal at 51 seconds into the third period, courtesy of Zack Weisz’ second assist of the night. Cote produced the game-winner at 10:27 with an assist by Jordan Pascoe, who finished with three helpers and was among five players honored on North Pole’s Senior Night.

Patriots goaltender Ashley Wilkes registered 25 saves and Hawks counterpart Ben Barenburg made 26.

The Patriots seized a 3-0 lead in the first period before the Hawks knotted the score in the second.

Cote scored his and the game’s first goal at 3:24 into the opening period, aided by Alex Lemelin.

Lemelin also scored the Patriots’ third goal at 13:12 with assists from Pascoe and Blake Wade, who had scored North Pole’s second goal at 9:24 with a Pascoe assist.

Humphrey’s hat trick night began at 2:21 of the second period with an assist from Jaden Sears. Patrick Thistle contributed a goal at 6:54, helped by Zach Lovelace and Cody Lipse. Humphreys made it 3-3 at 10:11 with assists from Lovelace and Weisz.

Tyler Bunch, with Lemelin’s second assist and third point of the contest, regained the lead for the Patriots at 11:14 of the second.

The Patriots senior players recognized were forwards Pascoe, Bunch, Lemelin, Wade and Keegan Grantham. Senior team manager Taylor Brennan, who had been with the Patriots all four years, was also honored.

North Pole ended the season at 2-5-1 conference and 3-18-1 overall, and will play in the Mid Alaska Tournament on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4-5 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Patty Center.