Warriors blank Knights

WASILLA — The Wasilla Warriors and Colony Knights have long enjoyed a spirited rivalry on the ice. But the Valley foes have entered a new era. The Warriors and Knights are no longer part of the six-team North Star Conference, following ASAA’s reclassification of Alaska high school hockey during the offseason. Wasilla and Colony are now members of the three-team Mid-Alaska Conference, which also includes the Lathrop-West Valley co-op program.

The Warriors and Knights met for the first time since the change Tuesday night, and Wasilla opened Mid-Alaska play with a big win.

Chase Schachle scored a pair of goals and Aaron Campbell posted the shutout to lead Wasilla to a 5-0 win over the Knights at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

“With the three-team conference, every game with these guys is like a region championship,” Wasilla head coach Trent Schachle said after the win. “Every game is that important.”

Campbell made 17 saves in the win for the Warriors.

“He played great,” Schachle said of the Wasilla netminder. “He made some really good saves.”

Schachle also praised the work of the players in front of the Wasilla goal.

“We played pretty good defense as a team,” Schachle said. “A lot of guys blocking shots, going down in front of the net. That was good to see.”

Chase Schachle needed less than two minutes to strike for the Warriors. Schachle, playing in front of the net, forced a rebound of a Garrison Holler shot into the Colony net 1 minute, 22 seconds into regulation.

“It got them sitting on their heels a little bit,” Trent Schachle said. “We got the pressure on them.”

Midway through the first, Dillon Matson knocked in a rebound off a Devin Carney shot to give Wasilla the 2-0 lead. Chase Schachle scored on a breakaway early in the second. Dylan Harbour and Langston Bouma added goals in third period.

Wasilla also had to kill a pair of Colony 5-on-3 situations in the win.

“Hard work,” Trent Schachle said. “That’s what it comes down to. Position and hard work.”

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

Wasilla 5, Colony 0

Tuesday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Wasilla- Schachle (Holler, Wiltfong) 13:38; 2. Wasilla- Matson (Carney) 6:51.

Second period — 3. Wasilla- Schachle (unassisted) 13:09.

Third period — 4. Wasilla- Harbour (Mulneaux) 8:00; 5. Wasilla- Bouma (unassisted) sh 0:07.

Shots on goal: Wasilla 8-9-10—27, Colony 4-8-5—17; Saves: Wasilla- Campbell 4-8-5—17, Colony- Marks 6-8-8—22.