Prep hockey: Big first period leads Moose to Menard win

WASILLA — In the last several seasons, the Palmer Moose have not been able to boast many seven-goal leads.

But on Wednesday, the Moose made it two in a row.

Less than a week after beating Tok 13-1, Palmer scored seven times in the first period and skated to an 8-4 win over the Eagle River Wolves during the first round of the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Hockey Tournament at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

“I thought we moved the puck well, and we really worked hard,” Palmer first-year head coach Brad Hanson said after his Moose improved to 3-0. “We had some opportunities and we buried them.”

And that’s what Palmer did for much of the first period.

Junior Zack Richards scored four of his game-high five goals in the first. Richard’s linemates Michael and Jared Hanson accounted for the other scores.

Michael, a junior, scored twice, while Jared, a freshman, added a score.

For Richards, his five-goal explosion was all about the play of his linemates.

“My linemates played great,” Richards said. “They fed me the puck. I was just fortunate enough to touch the puck at the right time.”

Palmer scored twice in less than a minute three times during the period. After Jared Hanson one-timed a Michael Hanson pass into the net with 8 minutes and 55 seconds to go, Richards popped in a Jared Hanson rebound 22 seconds later.

Midway through the period, Richards and Michael Hanson posted shorthanded tallys 39 seconds apart.

And late in the period, Richards scored twice during a 12-second span.

Palmer scored just once in the final two periods of play, while Eagle River posted two goals in the second and another in the third.

“We had opportunities later, but we didn’t bury them,” Brad Hanson said.

Although he felt his team improved in the period, the Palmer head coach said the Moose didn’t play with discipline during the second frame.

“If we’re going to get better, we’ve got to play disciplined all the time,” Brad Hanson said. “I’m not talking about not taking penalties, I’m talking about being smart with the puck.”

Eagle River was on a perpetual power play throughout the final half of the second period. The Moose skated with the man-advantage for the final seven minutes of the second, as the Wolves were whistled for five straight penalties. Despite, the advantage the Moose were unable to convert.

“We’re young; we’ve got some learning to do,” Brad Hanson said. “It’s all a learning experience at this point.”

With the win over Eagle River, Palmer moves into the semifinal round and will face East today at 5 p.m. at the Menard Arena.

East skated to a 7-2 win over Colony on Wednesday.

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

Palmer 8, Eagle River 4

Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Tournament

Wednesday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Palmer- M. Hanson (unassisted) 12:57, 2. Palmer- J. Hanson (M. Hanson) 8:48, 3. Palmer- Richards (J. Hanson) 8:34, 4. Palmer- Richards (unassisted) sh 5:46, 5. Palmer- M. Hanson (unassisted) sh 505, 6. Palmer- Richards (J. Hanson, Wright) 2:03, 7. Palmer- Richards (M. Hanson) 1:51, 8. Eagle River- Voice (Lord) 13:01.

Second period — 9. Eagle River- Amerson (Lord) 13:01, 10. Eagle River- McDonough (Lord) 8:42.

Third period — 11. Palmer- Richards (Danielowski) 9:49, 12. Eagle River- Ghan (unassisted) pp 8:27.

Shots on goal: Eagle River 6-4-4—14, Palmer 12-10-10—32; Saves: Eagle River Blair- 5-0-x—5, Felvarg x-10-9—19; Palmer- McQuillin 5-2-x—7, Naegele x-x-3—3; Penalties: Eagle River 7-14, Palmer 4-8; Power plays: Eagle River 1-4, Palmer 0-7.