Prep hockey: First-period surge leads SoHi past Moose

Dec. 10, 2006

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - The Palmer Moose wish they could have the first period of their loss to Soldotna on Saturday back.

Or at least the first 10 minutes, when Soldotna did all of its damage, scoring five times, en route to a 5-3 win over the Moose at the Palmer Ice Arena.

Soldotna scored its first goal just 43 seconds into regulation, posted two scores on the power play and slipped two shots by Palmer netminder Jim Isaacs during a 20-second span in the period.

The barrage of shots and the continuous pressure left the Moose seeing stars.

&#8220We came out flying,” Soldotna junior forward Ben Christianson said after posting three assists in the win.

The Stars used a sustained pressure to force the early lead. Most of Soldotna's goals came on second chances, and in some cases the third opportunity.

&#8220We were throwing the puck to the net, and getting rebounds,” Christianson said.

In the first minute of play, Christianson and defenseman Clayton Glick fired consecutive shots on goal. Eli Waldrop picked up the rebound off the second attempt, right in front of the Moose goal, and sent the puck into the right side of the net as Isaacs was stretching left.

Later in the period, Josh Harvey fired a shot from the point that hit Isaacs directly in the chest. The puck bounced of the Moose netminder, and Glick was there to pop in the rebound. That score gave the Stars a 4-0 lead, and John Michael Vinzent fired a puck from the left circle into the net 20 seconds later to give Soldotna the five-goal cushion.

Soldotna's play with the man-advantage also contributed to the lop-sided period. Anton Olson and Daniel Markstrom each scored with the extra man, and Soldotna converted two of three power-play opportunities in the period.

Facing a five-goal deficit, the Moose scored three times in the second to climb back into the game.

&#8220They played a lot better in the second, and really well in the third,” Palmer head coach Dino Pagano said. &#8220But it's difficult to come back from five goals.”

Jacob Collins, Zack Richards and Dylan Danielowski each scored for the Moose in the second period.

A goofy bounce helped Collins put the Moose on the scoreboard four minutes into the second frame. Collins took a pass from Richards and fired a shot from the point. The puck bounced off the chest of Soldotna goalie Michah Perletti, and was knocked into the air and over Perletti's shoulder. The puck trickled into the net, and Palmer cut the deficit to 5-1.

Richards scored with 2:52 left in the period, and Danielowski added a goal just more than a minute later to cut Soldotna's lead to two goals.

With the Moose skating on the power play, Tyler Virgin put a shot on goal. Moose defenseman Jesse Cassidy crashed the net, and his shot ricocheted of Perletti and back to the blueline. There, Danielowski retrieved the puck, and made a move to the right. With Perletti screened, the freshman fired a quick wrist shot into the net.

Palmer recorded 17 shots in the second, more than its total in the first and third periods combined.

Soldotna had 32 shots in the game, and had a number quality scoring chances.

&#8220We had a lot of nice opportunities on their net,” Christianson said. &#8220Their goalie came up with some pretty big saves.”

Christianson had a pair of 1-on-1 chances with the Palmer goaltender during a short stretch in the third period, but Isaacs stuffed both opportunities.

Soldotna finished the three-game trip to the Mat-Su Valley with two wins and a loss. Soldotna skated past the Colony Knights 4-1 on Friday, and fell to Wasilla 7-4 the night

before.

Palmer finished 1-2-0 against its Peninsual foes.

Richards scored twice in a 3-1 win over Homer on Friday.

On Thursday, the Moose suffered a 7-1 loss to Kenai.

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