Second-period surge sparks Moose

PALMER — What a difference 26 seconds can make.

The Palmer Moose scored three times within a 26-second span in the second period and skated to a 4-1 win over the Wasilla Warriors in the fourth-place game of the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Hockey Tournament at the Menard Arena in Wasilla on Saturday.

Zack Richards, Tyler Isaacs and Jared Hanson each scored for the stretch as the Moose turned a 1-0 lead into a four-goal advantage.

Richards started the scoring spree with a power-play goal with 2:39 left in the period.

“We got that one spark from the power play and just erupted with three,” Richards said.

Twenty seconds after Richards scored by knocking in the rebound of a Michael Hanson shot, junior Tyler Isaacs put a shot by the glove hand of Wasilla goalie Chris Yaskus.

And if that wasn’t enough, six seconds later, after winning the draw on the ensuing face off, Jared Hanson scored Palmer’s third goal in 26 seconds.

“We got a couple lucky draws and took it to the net and scored,” Richards.

Palmer did all of its damage on offense in the second period, scoring all four of its goals and collecting 16 of its 27 shots.

Isaacs gave the Moose the 1-0 lead, scoring with 4:27 left in the second.

“I think we settled down in the second period,” Palmer head coach Brad Hanson said. “We were running around a little too much in the first. We were extending a lot of effort, but not getting a lot of stuff done.”

Wasilla was able to keep pressure on the Palmer goal throughout much of the first and third period, but fell victim to the stellar play of Moose netminder Will Rauchenstein.

The Warriors were able to slip a puck by Palmer’s sturdy goaltender just once, an Eric Marshall score in the third period.

“I think he saw a lot of his shots,” Brad Hanson said of his goalie. “He had a good game.”

Wasilla put 14 shots on Rauchenstein and the Palmer net, and had a pair of 5-on-3 opportunities during the final frame.

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

Palmer 4, Wasilla 1

Saturday, Menard Arena

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Palmer- Isaacs (J. Hanson) 4:27, 2. Palmer- Richards (M. Hanson) pp 2:39, 3. Palmer- Isaacs (unassisted) 2:19, 4. Palmer- J. Hanson (Isaacs) 2:13.

Third period — 5. Wasilla- Marshall (J. Johnston) 6:32.

Shots on goal: Palmer 4-16-7—27, Wasilla 7-7-14—28; Saves: Palmer- Rauchenstein 7-7-13—27, Wasilla- Yaskus 4-12-7—23.

Palmer 13, Houston 0

WASILLA — Senior captain Zack Richards posted a hat trick and three assists during a 13-0 win over Houston during the consolation semifinals of the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Hockey Tournament in Wasilla on Saturday.

Freshman Ivan Good and sophomore Jared Hanson also each notched the hat trick, and seven different players scored for Palmer.

Senior Derek Monarch, sophomore Thomas Hunt, senior Michael Hanson and sophomore Nick Reeves also scored for PHS.

Junior Jonas Naegele stopped all 25 Houston shots to record the shutout in the Palmer net.

Palmer 13, Houston 0

Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena

First period — 1. Palmer- Richards (Good, M. Hanson) 13:50, 2. Palmer- Monarch (Harrison, George) 11:24, 3. Palmer- Hunt (Richards) 10:41, 4. M. Hanson (Good, Richards) 8:07, 5. Palmer- Richards (Monarch, Ferguson) 4:50, 6. Palmer- Richards (Good, M. Hanson) 2:14.

Second period — 7. Palmer- J. Hanson (Blakeman, Isaacs) 12:31, 8. Palmer- J. Hanson (Reeves, Naegele) 8:27, 9. Palmer- Good (M. Hanson) 6:03, 10. Palmer- Good (M. Hanson) 5:46.

Third period — 11. Palmer- Reeves (Acher) 13:13, 12. Palmer- J. Hanson (unassisted) 11:35, 13. Palmer- Good (Richards) 4:10.

Shots on goal: Houston 8-10-7—25, Palmer 13-11-6—30; Saves: Houston- Barenburg 7-7-3—17, Palmer- Naegele 8-10-7—25

Wasilla 8, Delta 0

WASILLA — The Wasilla Warriors scored five first-period goals and cruised to a 8-0 win over the Delta Huskies during the consolation semifinals of the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Hockey Tournament in Wasilla on Friday.

Sophomore Ryder Conroy gave Wasilla the early lead, scoring just 1 minute and 34 seconds into regulation.

Trent Wohlers scored twice during a 28-second span in the first, and Dylan Troisi and Travis Koso also scored first-period goals.

Jeremiah Walker and Daniel Locke also scored for WHS, and Troisi added a second goal in the third period.

Freshman Chancie Hanson led the Warriors with two assists.

Junior Adam Spencer and senior Galen Kloepfer combined for the shutout in the Wasilla net.

Wasilla 8, Delta 0

Menard Memorial Hockey Tournament

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Wasilla- Conroy (Wohlers) 13:26, 2. Wasilla- Troisi (unassisted) 11:53, 3. Wasilla- Wohlers (unassisted) 10:30, 4. Wasilla- Wohlers (Ranson-Cederholm, Hanson) 10:02, 5. Wasilla- Koso (Walker, McCree) 5:25.

Second period — 6. Wasilla- Walker (Koso, Locke) 5:25.

Third period — 7. Wasilla- Troisi (Hanson) 10:56, 8. Wasilla- Locke (Gittlein, Troisi) 1:07.

Shots on goal: Delta 3-1-2—6, Wasilla 10-13-11—34, Saves: Delta- Probert 5-12-9—26, Wasilla- Spencer 3-x-x—3, Kloepfer x-1-2—3.

Service 3, West Valley 1

WASILLA — The Service Cougars captured the 2008 Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Hockey Tournament title with a 3-1 win over West Valley at the Menard Arena on Saturday.

Trace Strahle, Tyler Matthews and Braydon Lahti scored for Service, the runner-up in the 2008 4A state title game.

Benny Nenne scored the lone goal for West Valley.

Service 3, West Valley 1

Saturday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Service- Strahle (Trupp) 3:06.

Second period — no scoring.

Third period — 2. Service- Matthews (Donlan, Guzman) 14:36, 3. West Valley- Nenne (Bratton, Brady) 10:32, 4. Service- Lahti (Hensen) 2:09.

Shots on goal: Service 9-10-17—36, West Valley 3-8-9—20; Saves: Service- Fiske 3-8-8—19, West Valley- Wilfer 8-10-15—33; Penalties: Service 9-for-18, West Valley 5-for-10.