Valley teams expect a battle in North Star Conference

WASILLA — There were two predominant themes during the 2014-15 hockey season.

Parity ruled the Valley, and the Valley ruled the North Star Conference.

Valley squads owned the top three spots in the North Star, with Wasilla (7-2-1), Palmer (7-3-0) and Colony (6-3-1) leading the pack heading into the 2015 conference tournament, and local squads owned the Peninsula teams. Wasilla, Colony and Palmer each finished a combined 5-1 in games against Soldotna, Homer and Kenai.

It’s a new season. But things may not be much different this year. Valley squads are expected to be favored, and local coaches expect parity to power the North Star once again.

Colony Knights

Colony skates into the 2015-2016 season as the defending North Star champions after winning its first conference title since 2002. Last year, the Knights also qualified for their first state tournament since 2006.

This year, Colony is working to fill the void left by graduation. Among the losses are forward Jacob Link, and defensemen Logan Sanders and Curtis Foster, all seniors last season who earned first-team All-North Star Conference honors. Colony also lost its leading scorer, Josh Boyer, who moved out of state with his family after his sophomore year at Colony High.

“We’re very, very young. We’ve got a lot of holes to fill,” Colony head coach Jamie Smith said at the beginning of the season.

But Smith is optimistic about the parts he has to fill in the pieces of the puzzle.

“We’re looking good. We’re led by young guys. The sophomores and juniors are pretty good,” Smith said.

The Knights have only five seniors on the roster, but the sophomore and junior classes are deep.

Entering the season, the biggest void was on the Colony blue line, with the losses of players such as Foster, Sanders and Shawn Mitchell.

“It’s going to take a team effort to do that,” Smith said of filling the void on defense.

Smith noted older players, such as seniors Cooper McLaughlin and Colton Griffith. Junior Dayne Cole and sophomore Kolten Ketchum are among the younger blueliners who could be key on defense.

Colony’s sophomore class includes a bevy of talent at forward. That group includes Cooper Smith, Jake Hessinger and Foster Riekena. Jacob Kirsch, Otto Thiele and Cade Havel are the juniors expected to lead Colony at forward.

Smith also noted seniors Cy Eller and Jake Branch.

“They’re both gritty, hard working, really tough guys. They’ll kind of lead the charge physically up front,” Smith said.

Smith said he’s very excited about his depth at goaltender with junior Joey Diltz, and sophomores Alexander Gamez and Cole Doss.

Thiele, one goal and seven assists, currently leads the Knights with eight points. Branch (one goal, six assists, seven points), Hessinger (4-3-7) and Smith (1-6-7) have seven points each.

Colony was slated to play Wasilla on Tuesday, but that contest was postponed after the Mat-Su Borough School District canceled school due to weather.

Colony returns to the ice Dec. 3 at Kenai.

Wasilla Warriors

Wasilla finished as the North Star runner-up last season, falling to Colony in the conference title game, but the following week, Wasilla beat Colony in the third-place game of the 4A state tournament. It marked the second straight season that Wasilla finished third in state.

Like Colony, Wasilla is also young. The Warriors only have three seniors on the current roster — forward Larsen Tubbs, and defensemen Greyson Holohan and Cheyenne Matson.

With four freshmen, four sophomores and a larger junior class, head coach Trent Schachle said work ethic is going to be key.

“Our biggest key is hard work,” Schachle said recently. “Every game we play, we get a little bit better if we go out and work 100 percent.”

In addition to the seniors, Wasilla’s group of leading returners includes junior forwards Garrett Conroy, Braden Brunnhoelzl, Russell Harren and Olivia Matson. The Warriors also have veteran goalie Zach Curry, who entered the season with experience in the varsity net.

Wasilla has already seen production from its freshmen — forwards Porter Schachle and Alex Engan, and defensemen Austin Stephens and Dillon Matson.

“We have a lot of new faces in the lineup, but every game I think we get a little bit better,” Schachle said.

Conroy and Schachle currently lead the Warriors in scoring, with six points each. Conroy has four goals and two assists through six games, and Schachle has three goals and three assists. Tubbs leads Wasilla with four assists in six games. Curry has a 3.33 goals against average.

Wasilla was scheduled to host Colony on Tuesday, but that contest was postponed after the Mat-Su Borough School District canceled school due to

weather.

Wasilla returns to the ice Dec. 3 at Soldotna.

Palmer Moose

Palmer, a team in search of its first state tournament berth since 2012, has one thing its Valley foes do not — depth in its senior class. The Moose currently have eight seniors, the same total as Colony and Wasilla combined. And the bulk of the senior class has been skating with the Palmer varsity squad for four seasons.

“One thing we have is a lot of senior leadership,” first-year Palmer head coach Jeff Varvil said recently.

Varvil, who came to Palmer after a run at the helm of the East Anchorage hockey program, said he also likes his team’s overall depth.

“I think we are three lines deep, three solid lines deep,” Varvil said. “We have a fourth line as well.”

Varvil said with its depth, Palmer can bring something to the ice that it hasn’t in recent years.

“We’re able to stay fresher that way,” Varvil said.

Varvil said he wants his squad to be aggressive and opportunistic, with the ability to score off turnovers. Varvil said he also likes the discipline his players have shown this season, and wants the Moose to have the mentality that they are the team to beat.

Forward Darren Fish and defenseman Josh Meyers, both first-team All-North Star Conference selections last year, are among the leaders on the squad. The group of leaders also includes senior defensemen Noah Richards and Hayden Shults, senior forward Chris Dojka and junior forward Taylor Foster.

Fish and Richards are the captains this season.

“Talent-wise and discipline-wise, we are deep,” Varvil said. “We have some great leaders on this team.”

Palmer junior goalie Cody Grogan is also expected to be a key for the Moose.

“I think he’s getting better and better each game,” Varvil said of Grogan, a second-team all-conference selection last year.

Varvil also noted Grogan’s leadership.

Palmer jumped to an early lead in the conference with a 3-0 victory over Wasilla Nov. 21. Palmer is 3-2-1 overall.

Fish, three goals and five assists, currently leads Palmer with eight points. Foster (2-2-4) and Richards (1-3-4) have four points each.

Grogan is 2-1-0 with a 1.33 goals against average and .947 saves percentage.

Palmer returns to the ice Dec. 3 in Homer.

** Editor’s note: See an upcoming edition of the Frontiersman for a feature about the Houston Hawks, the defending 3A state champions.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.