Warriors beat South in 2OT, move forward in hockey tourney

WASILLA — Good things aren’t always planned, and sometimes hard work and a fortunate bounce can trump anything scripted.

Wasilla senior captain Luke Schruf scored the game-winning goal with 1 minute, 13 seconds left in the second overtime to give the Warriors a 4-3 win over the defending state champion South Anchorage Wolverines during the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank State Championships at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

“Honestly I was going for the pass on the far side,” Schruf said after the win. “I think the guy put his stick down and (the puck) went in the goal.”

With the Warriors on the power play, and linemate Garrett Conroy parked on the left side of the crease, Schruf worked the puck from the right wing side. The puck was deflected up front and made its way into the net, but it didn’t matter to Schruf how the puck crossed the goal line. All that mattered was the celebration that followed.

“I could care less who scored the gaol. I just wanted to win that game so bad,” Schruf said.

With the game-winner, Schruf finished with a hat trick in the win and senior goalie Kiana Verplancke made 43 saves to help Wasilla advance to the semifinal round for the second straight year. It also marked the second straight year that Wasilla knocked off the defending state champion in the first round. Wasilla topped 2013 champion Dimond 4-3 in the quarterfinals last year.

South Anchorage scored twice during the final 2:06 of regulation to force overtime. Schruf praised his team for overcoming the late adversity.

“We showed we’re here to play,” Schruf said. “We’re not going to be stopped by defensive breakdowns. We’re going to come back and work hard.”

And hard work was the key in extra time, Schruf said.

“You’ve got to go balls to the wall the whole time,” Schruf said. “We went a little bit harder in the last couple minutes and we got our bounce.”

Schruf scored the first of his three goals midway through the first period to give his team the early lead. Seconds inside the second period, Braden Brunnhoelzl tapped in the rebound of a Larsen Tubbs shot to give the Warriors the 2-0 advantage. Schruf also scored midway through the third period.

Wasilla outshot South 52-46 in the game.

Verplancke, who helped upset Dimond last year in the first round, was stellar once again in the Wasilla goal. The senior finished with 43 saves, and made stops on at least four South breakaways.

“Kiana’s amazing. We couldn’t have done it without her,” Schruf said.

Wasilla is now one victory away from reaching the state title game for the second time in program history, and first since 1989.

Thursday marked the first time since 1989 that two Valley teams and only one Anchorage squad advanced to the state semifinal. Colony, skating in its first state tourney since 2006, beat Dimond 1-0. Early in the day West Valley blanked Service 4-0.

West, the lone Anchorage team on the winner’s side of the bracket, beat North Pole 2-1.

Wasilla will face West Valley Friday at 7:30 p.m. Colony meets West in the other semifinal at 5.

Wasilla 4, South 3 2OT

4A quarterfinals

Thursday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Wasilla- Schruf (Marks) 7:54.

Second period — 2. Wasilla- Brunnhoelzl (Tubbs, Harren) 14:25.

Third period — 3. South- Ashley (Ramsey) 12:00 4. Wasilla- Schruf (Conroy, Marks) 6:53; 5. South- Ramsey (unassisted) 2;08; 6. South- Trujillo (Matson, Schmitz) ea 0:13.

Fourth period — no scoring.

Fifth period — 7. Wasilla- Schruf (unassisted) 1:13.

Shots on goal: South 8-15-15-4-4—46, Wasilla 13-9-18-8-4—52; Saves: South- Swayman 12-8-17-8-4—49, Wasilla 8-15-12-4-4—43.