Prep hockey: Valley squads host Peninsula foes

After a pair of tough losses, the Palmer Moose took out their frustrations on the Kenai Kardinals Friday night.

Zach Nelius used a hat trick to lead the Moose to an 8-1 win over the Kards at the MTA Events Center in Palmer. The Moose needed only about four minutes to grab a 4-0 lead. Jack Matlock scored a pair of goals within a 33-second span to push Palmer ahead 2-0. Nelius and Owen Hayes added goals within a 40-second stretch to make it a 4-0 game.

Luke Thiesen added a shorthanded breakaway goal in the win. Pierce Brooks also scored.

Bailey Maxson provided Kenai’s lone score.

Palmer earned the win in its third Railbelt Conference game in as many nights in Palmer.

Thursday, Ethan Pitzman used a natural hat trick and a four-goal night to lead Homer to a 6-3 win over Palmer.

The Railbelt rivals skated into the third tied at 3, but Pitzman scored three times within a four-minute stretch for the Mariners. Two of those goals came on the power play. Pitzman also scored his team’s first goal of the game.

Alden Ross added a goal and Tyler Glilland converted a penalty shot for the Mariners in the win.

Hayes led Palmer with a pair of goals, including a breakaway for a score in the second. Peyton Weaver also scored for the Moose.

Homer outshot Palmer 36-30. Homer’s Hunter Warren and Palmer’s TJ O’Rourke made 30 saves each.

On Wednesday, Soldotna’s Galen Brantley III scored eight seconds into overtime to help the Stars edge the Moose 3-2.

The Kenai Kardinals earned their first victory of the 2018-19 season Saturday afternoon. Nate Beiser scored twice to lift Kenai to a 3-1 win over Houston at the Big Lake Recreation Center.

Cooper Stock also scored for the Kards. Isaiah Squires recorded the lone Houston goal.

Colony tops Homer

Colony goaltender Roman Shepard used a 28-save shutout to lead Colony to a 4-0 nonconference win over Homer Saturday at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Dane Jellich led the Knights with a goal and two assists. Owen MacDonald and Blake Reid had a goal and an assist each. Brett Ewing also scored.

Stars skate past Hawks, Knights

Soldotna capped a perfect trip to the Valley with a 4-1 nonconference win over Colony Friday night at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Alex Montague scored twice for the Stars. Galen Brantley III and Gavin Haakenson also scored. Goalie Josh Tree made 30 saves.

Jack Holman recorded the lone goal for Colony.

A night after edging Palmer in overtime, the Soldotna Stars drilled Houston 9-2 Thursday night at the Big Lake Recreational Center in Big Lake.

Eight different players scored to help Soldotna earn its second Railbelt Conference win in as many days. Alex Montague led SoHi with a pair of goals. Braxton Urban, Logan Shane, Dylan Walton, Jose Montague, Galen Brantley III and David Aley also scored. Brantley led Soldotna with four assists. JD Schmelzenbach added three helpers for SoHi, which outshot Houston 55-23.

Kenzie Powell made 21 saves in the SoHi net.

Colony 4, Homer 0

Saturday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Colony- Reid (Holman, Diltz) 11:04; 2. Colony- MacDonald (Jellich, Holman) 7:02; 3. Colony- Ewing (MacDonald, Jellich) 1:48.

Second period — 4. Colony- Jellich (Diltz, Reid) sh 9:01.

Third period — no scoring.

Kenai Central 3, Houston 1

Saturday, Big Lake Rec Center

First period — 1. Kenai- C. Stock (Knudson) 10:21.

Second period — 2. Houston- Squires (unassisted) 10:42; 3. Kenai- Beiser (J. Stock) 7:37.

Third period — 3. Kenai- Beiser (C. Stock) 00:04.

Shots on goal: Kenai 13-8-19—40; Houston 4-9-4—17; Saves: Kenai- Cross 4-8-4—16, Houston- Smoldon 12-7-18—37.

Soldotna 4, Colony 1

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Soldotna- A. Montague (unassisted) 7:06; 2. Soldotna- A. Montague (Urban) 4:10.

Second period — 3. Soldotna- Brantley III (Nye) 12:06.

Third period — 4. Soldotna- Haakenson (Urban, Kopp) 7:57; 5. Colony- Holman (Diltz, Korynta) 5:13.

Shots on goal: Soldotna 6-11-4—21, Colony 10-7-14—31; Saves: Soldotna- Tree 10-7-13—30, Colony- Shepard 4-10-3—17.

Palmer 8, Kenai 1

Friday, MTA Events Center

First period — 1. Palmer- Hooks (Matlock, Theisen) 13:53; 2. Palmer- Matlock (Hooks) 13:20; 3. Palmer- Z. Nelius (Biddle) 11:55; 4. Palmer- Hayes (Hooks, Biddle) 11:34; 5. Palmer- Brooks (A. Nelius, Stoll) 4:35; 6. Kenai- Maxson (West) 2:03.

Second period — 7. Palmer- Thiesen (Matlock) sh 12:35.

Third period — 8. Palmer- Z. Nelius (Weaver, Wilson) sh 9:30; 9. Palmer- Z. Nelius (Brooks, Theisen) 0:44.

Shots on goal: Kenai 9-8-7—24, Palmer 16-9-9—34; Saves: Kenai- Coppes 11-8-7—26, Palmer- Horacek 9-1-x—10, Heard x-7-7—14.

Soldotna 9, Houston 2

Thursday, Big Lake Rec Center

First period — 1. Soldotna- Urban (Brantley III) 11:36; 2. Soldonta- Skolnick (Walton) 3:16.

Second period — 3. Soldonta- Shane (Urban, Brantley III) 13:15; 4. Soldotna- Walton (Haakanson) 12:11; 5. Houston- Squires (Dreyer, Hogan) 10:13; 6. Soldotna- A. Montague (Brantley III, Schmelzenbach) 5:25; 7. Soldonta- No. 6 (Schmelzenbach) 2:43.

Third period — 8. Soldotna- Brantley III (Aley) 11:16; 9. Houston- Squires (unassisted) 8:40; 10. Soldotna- Aley (Skolnick, Schmelzenbach) 2:20; 11. Soldotna- A. Montague (Urban, Brantley III) 0:52.

Shots on goal: Soldotna 15-16-24—55, Houston 7-10-6—23; Saves: Soldotna- Powell 7-9-6—21, Houston- Smoldon 12-12-21—46.