Prep hockey: Knights use offensive surge to bury Homer

WASILLA — It would have been perfectly appropriate to play the title track of the “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” soundtrack over the loudspeakers of the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena on Saturday afternoon. Fans watching Colony’s 10-1 romp of the Homer Mariners saw the hockey versions of the good, the bad and the ugly.

There was the good: Colony scored 10 times, with most of the goals created with the help of highlight-reel passes.

There was the bad: The teams combined for 28 penalties.

And there was the ugly: Homer logged 28 penalty minutes in the second period alone.

Seven players scored for the Knights and two Colony skaters — senior Blake Huppert and junior Josh Pulczinski — scored multiple times to help CHS secure the win in the seventh-place game of the Menard Memorial Hockey Tournament.

Huppert notched a hat trick in the victory, and Pulczinski scored both of his goals in a seven-second span early in the first period.

Just 1:39 into regulation, Pulczinski put a shot on net that deflected off the inside of Homer goaltender Luke Eckert’s skate.

With the 1-0 lead, Colony won the ensuing face-off, Pulczinski took a quick pass from defenseman Braden Carter, and slipped a backhand shot past Eckert.

“I was pumped,” Pulczinski said, adding that’s the fastest he’s ever scored two goals.

Pulczinski nearly had a third goal seconds later.

“He almost got a natural hat trick on one shift,” Colony head coach Dale Mattson said.

The goals marked the first scores of the season for Pulczinski, and two other Knights posted the first goals of their varsity careers.

Junior Rachael Gray one-timed a pass from defenseman Dominick Frank and scored on the power play to notch her first varsity score late in the second period.

In the third, freshman Daryl Belanger scored on the power play and recorded his first goal as a Knight.

Frank, sophomore Chris Sawyer and senior Chris Breck also scored for Colony.

The Knights dropped a dime on the scoreboard, thanks mostly to stellar passing by CHS.

“We finally started putting some plays together,” Mattson said. “The guys were passing the puck a little more. In past games we’ve been having a lot of one guy trying to do everything.”

Sawyer gave the Knights a 4-1 lead early in the second period on a play that was set up by a long pass from Frank.

Deep in the Homer zone, Frank gathered up the loose puck and sent a quick and accurate pass to Sawyer, who caught the puck just before it hit the Homer blue line. Sawyer buried the 1-on-1 attempt in the Homer net.

Colony also scored three goals on one-timers.

Gray posted her one-timer in the second, Belanger deflected a Chris Breck pass off the blade of his stick in the third and Huppert one-timed a Breck pass with a slap shot late in the game.

Josh Pitta scored the lone goal for Homer, a power-play tally in the first period.

Colony netminder Charlie Holman posted 15 saves in the win. Although Homer was inconsistent on the offensive end, Holman was repeatedly challenged by Pitta, Homer’s extremely quick captain.

Holman turned away three breakaway shots by Pitta in the final two periods.

While the ability to score was the story for Colony, for Homer it was the Mariners’ inability to stay out of the penalty box.

Homer was whistled for 14 two-minute minors and one 10-minute misconduct in the game.

Colony also struggled with penalties, drawing 13 minors.

Mattson said he urged his players to be smart, especially in the second period when the two teams combined for 16 penalties.

“We just told them no more penalties, no more retaliation,” Mattson said. “We were winning 6-1 at that point. There’s no reason to get penalties.”

Colony’s win came a day after losing a 4-3 heartbreaker to Eagle River in the consolation semifinals.

Eagle River forward Paul Pickens scored as time expired in the third period to break a 3-3 tie and give the Wolves the win.

With the seconds ticking off the clock in the third period, Pickens was able to get a shot off from the slot. The puck barely got past Colony netminder Tessa Muilenburg, who dove to make the play.

Huppert scored twice and Sawyer added a score in the loss.

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

Colony 10, Homer 1

Saturday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Colony- Pulczinski (Oldson) 13:21, 2. Colony- Pulczinski (Frank) 13:14, 3. Homer- Pitta (Quance, Satre) pp 8:16, 4. Colony- Frank (Huppert) pp 6:03.

Second period — 5. Colony- Sawyer (Frank) 11:49, 6. Colony- Huppert (Weeks) pp 8:30, 7. Colony- Gray (Frank, Breck) pp 2:00.

Third period — 8. Colony- Daryl Belanger (Breck) pp 10:10, 9. Colony- Huppert (Breck, Krey) pp 8:15, 10. Colony- Breck (Huppert) 7:49, 11. Colony- Huppert (unassisted) sh 4:51.

Eagle 4, Colony 3

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Eagle River- Wescott (unassisted) pp 11:10, 2. Colony- Huppert (Nezaticky) pp 7:14, 3. Colony- Huppert (Frank) 4:32, 4. Eagle River- Sperry (Russell) pp 3:01, 5. Colony- Sawyer (Paatsama) 1:29.

Third period — 6. Eagle River- Russell (Bergeron, Amerson) 3:16, 7. Eagle River- Pickens (Voice) 00:00.

Shots on goal: Eagle River 6-5-10—21, Colony 6-21-7—34.