Seniors lead Wasilla to hockey win over Colony

WASILLA — A pair of seniors helped lead the Wasilla Warriors earn a big win over a Valley rival Thursday night.

Forward Luke Schruf bagged the hat trick and goalie Kiana Verplancke stopped 29 shots to lead the Warriors to a 5-3 North Star Conference hockey win over Colony at the Brett Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla.

Both enjoyed big third periods. Schruf scored the go-ahead goal and the insurance tally during the final period. Verplancke recorded 15 of her 29 saves in the third.

WIth the win, Wasilla jumped Colony in the North Star standings. The Warriors improved to 6-2-1, and the Knights dropped to 5-2-1. Both teams only have Palmer on their remaining schedule. The Warriors have a final regular season game against the Moose, while the Knights are slated to play Palmer twice. Palmer is first in the conference with a 6-1-0 record.

Schruf gave his team an early lead, scoring at the 8:37 mark of the first, but the Knight carried a lead into the final six minutes of the second period. Josh Boyer tied the score at 1 late in the first, and Isaac Vincent gave Colony the lead, with a goal at the 12:42 mark of the second.

Wasilla tied the game with a Larsen Tubbs goal at the 8:20 mark of the second, and WHS took the 3-2 lead when Blake Marks scored three minutes later.

Colony tied the score once again in the third, with Jacob Link's tally. But Schruf was the difference in the final period, scoring twice in the final 6:30 of play.

Wasilla 5, Colony 3

Thursday, Brett Arena

First period — 1. Wasilla- Schruf (Conroy, Marks) 8:37; 2. Colony- Boyer (Link) 4:30.

Second period — 3. Wasilla- Tubbs (Morrison, Brunnhoelzl) 8:20; 4. Colony- Vincent (Eller, Thiele) 12:42; 5. Wasilla- Marks (Schruf, Conroy) 5:53.

Third period — 6. Colony- Link (Boyer, Sanders) 9:55; 7. Wasilla- Schruf (Conroy) 6:30; 8. Wasilla- Schruf (Conroy, Morrison) 0:13.5.

Shots on goal: Colony 6-9-16--31, Wasilla 8-13-8--29, Saves: Colony- Diltz 7-11-6--24., Wasilla- Verplancke 5-8-15--29.