Prep hockey: Second period surge leads Hawks over Glennallen

Jan. 14, 2006

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - Before his team hit the ice Saturday afternoon, Houston head coach Mike Styers made a list of things he saw in Friday's 5-0 win over Glennallen that he wanted his team to improve on.

But in the first period against the Panthers on Saturday, Styers was seeing many of the same things.

&#8220We looked ok, but there were a lot of little things,” Styers said. &#8220We weren't hustling to the puck. Our forecheck was really slow.”

So when the Hawks went into the first intermission, trailing their Greatland Conference foe 2-1, Styers saw the need for a little motivational talk.

Evidently it worked.

Houston scored four times in the middle frame, and skated to a 7-3 win over the Panthers at the Brett Memorial Ice Arena.

&#8220We had problems in the first, and we went out (in the second) and changed,” Houston senior Kaleb Westfall said. &#8220It was change or lose the game.”

Houston scored three times within a two-minute span midway through the second period to break the game open.

&#8220We came out and started playing hard again,” Styers said. &#8220We were crashing the net, and had a lot of battles in front of the net.”

Westfall sparked the scoring spree when he crashed the net and popped the puck by Glennallen goaltender William Buck. The blueliner's goal tied the score at 2-2.

Twenty-six seconds later, Jordan Cole gave Houston it's first lead of the game. Cole drove hard to the net, and scored.

On the next shift, junior Jake Henkel intercepted a pass in the Glennallen zone, and flipped a quick wrist shot past Buck.

&#8220We made our opportunities by working hard,” Westfall said.

Late in the period, Houston forward Casey Marre chased down a loose puck, beat a Glennallen defensman to the net and scored to give the Hawks the 5-2

lead.

When Marre got the puck and opponent turned him around, but Marre was able to reposition himself to get the shot off.

Marre added a power-play goal in the third period.

Marre and Henkel each scored twice in the game. Henkel added three assists.

Aaron Burelson also scored.

Freshman netminder Will Rauchenstein stopped 12 shots and earned the win in net.

Ryan Crow led the Panthers with two goals. Anthony Sohdergaard also scored for GHS.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@

frontiersman.com.