Veteran Moose find early success

PALMER — It’s already been a busy season for the Palmer Moose.

Palmer’s skated in nine games since dropping the puck on Nov. 1, and has played in four games in back-to-back weeks. But the Moose are off to a good start, sporting a 6-3-0 mark. Palmer is also fresh off of winning the title of the annual Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Hockey Tournament.

“I like where we’re at,” Palmer head coach Brad Hanson said after the Moose beat Lathrop 6-0 to win the Menard tourney title. “I think we’re playing with some confidence right now. We have some good kids too.”

Hanson admitted he wishes Palmer did a little better during its three-game swing through the Interior last month. The Moose finished the trip 1-2, sandwiching a 7-0 shutout of North Pole with tough losses to Interior powers Lathrop and West Valley.

Palmer suffered a 3-1 loss to Lathrop and a 2-1 loss to West Valley, but redeemed themselves with that blowout win over the Malemutes last Saturday.

Palmer’s third loss of the season came to a team that many are picking as the top squad in the state right now, Dimond. The Lynx used a pair of third-period goals to edge Palmer 3-1 early in the season. The Moose boast a number of key veterans who helped Palmer win the North Star Conference championship last year.

Senior captain Ivan Good, Palmer’s leading scorer last season, is back. Veteran forwards Dalton Buness, Miles George and Payton Staskywicz also return.

Brennan Harrison, Thomas Morino and Trey Garrod are back to lead Palmer on the blue line. Goalie Ashton Good returns to his home in the Moose net.

The Moose coaching staff welcomes back that veteran presence, but Hanson also said he’s pleased with what his players did during the offseason.

“A lot of guys really worked hard in offseason conditioning,” Hanson said.

Hanson said that work has led to the improvement of players such as Hunter Bryers, whose presence on the Moose third line could be key for Palmer.

“That third line continues to add a little big different dimension,” Hanson said of the unit that also features Staskywicz and players such as Mitch Ressew or Luke Wright.

Younger forwards such as Jacob Inukai and Jack Reeves have emerged, and the play of young defensemen like Jim Erickson and Travis Dryer could be key as the Moose skate ahead in the 2011-12 season.

The majority of the Palmer skaters are also playing hockey with competitive programs outside the Moose team.

“We’ll benefit from that,” Hanson said.

The Moose also have a newcomer who has helped lead the Moose to early success. Forward Blake Brazil, who moved to the Valley from Fergus Falls, Minn., has become a top scorer for the Moose. He netted a hat trick during the Menard title game.

Editor’s note: This is the fourth of a four-part series previewing the seasons of local prep hockey programs. For more on the Colony, Houston and Wasilla programs, see frontiersman.com/sports.