Prep hockey: Moose slip by Knights

Jan. 28, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - The Palmer Moose ended the North Star Conference regular season with a 4-2 win over Valley rival Colony Saturday at the Palmer Ice Arena.

Sophomore forward Michael Hanson posted a hat trick and senior netminder Jim Isaacs stopped 29 shots for the Moose.

&#8220It was a good back-and-forth game,” Palmer head coach Dino Pagano said.

Helped with a pass from senior Tyler Virgin, Hanson gave the Moose a 1-0 lead in the second period.

Later in the frame, Lance Nezaticky put a shot past Isaacs to tie the game at 1-1 for Colony.

Early in the third period, Hanson struck again to give the Moose the 2-1 advantage. But with a Blake Huppert goal, Colony came back and tied the game up.

The Moose were able to post a pair of unanswered goals in the third period to seal the win.

Freshman James Blakeman gave the Moose the 3-2 advantage, and Hanson capped his hat trick late in the period.

Although Colony ends the regular season without a region win, the Knights showed they are a vastly improved squad. On Friday, Wasilla - the second ranked team in the NSC - narrowly beat Colony 4-3.

&#8220Colony's a lot better. They're really playing tough hockey, from the goaltender on up,” Pagano said, specifically noting the play of Colony's freshman netminder, Charlie Holman. &#8220They're a much different team from the beginning of the season.”

Wasilla 4, Colony 3

Wasilla junior Adam Friese scored a pair of goals to lead the Warriors to a 4-3 win over Colony at the Menard Memorial Arena on Friday.

Friese scored Wasilla's first goal of the game, early in the first period, and once again midway through the second.

Joe Barkley and Dane Wilson also scored for WHS.

Huppert, Logan Huppert and Andrew Bargelski scored for Colony.

In other prep pucks action, Houston rolled to an 11-3 win at Nikiski on Thursday.

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