Warriors get past Knights, advance to Big Lake hockey tourney final

BIG LAKE — A couple of hat tricks helped set up a Wasilla-Monroe Catholic final in the Big Lake Lions Classic Friday evening in Big Lake.

Sophomore Alex Engan notched a hat trick during Wasilla’s 7-5 semifinal win over rival Colony. In the other semi, Riley Ott scored all three Monroe goals to lead the defending 3A state champion Rams to a 3-1 win over Soldotna.

Engan scored twice during Wasilla’s three-goal first period to help Wasilla grab a 3-1 lead, and completed his hat trick late in the second period. Wasilla built two-goal leads in the first and the second periods, but Colony rallied to tie the score each time.

Trailing 3-1, Jake Kirsch and Tristan Avoletta scored for Colony to tie the score at 3. After the Warriors built a 5-3 lead, Avoletta and Cade Havel scored early in the third to tie the score at 5.

Later in the third, Wasilla’s Garrett Conroy scored twice to give Wasilla the 7-5 lead.

Lucas Gudz and Alex Clark also scored for the Warriors in the win.

Te’sean Evans also scored for the Knights.

In the other semifinal, Ott scored a goal in each period to lead Monroe to the win. Ethan Brown scored the lone goal for the Stars. Monroe outshot Soldotna 38-31 in the win.

In the consolation semifinals, Palmer played in its second overtime game in as many days. After falling to Soldotna 5-4 in a shootout in the first round, freshman Jaron Ketterman scored the game-winner in overtime to lift Palmer to a 3-2 victory over host Houston. Ketterman scored twice in the win. Miller Armstrong also found the back of the net for the Moose.

Blake Rogers and Reed Humphreys scored for Houston.

Palmer’s Cody Grogan made 39 saves, 24 in the third period, to help the Moose grab the win. JP Nix made 53 saves for Houston.

In other action, Kenai scored three times in the third to rally to an 8-7 win over Bartlett.

Johnathan Hawkins scored his second goal of the game to spark the Kards rally. Nate Beisler tied the score at 7 two minutes later. Jakeb O’Brien scored the game-winner with 36 seconds left in regulation.

Levi Mese led the Kardinals with a hat trick. Matthew Zorbas also scored.

The teams combined for 91 shots in the game. Ryan Williams made 35 saves for the Kards.

Action continues Saturday morning, with Bartlett and Houston skating in the seventh-place game at 8 a.m. Palmer and Kenai will play for fourth at 2 p.m. Soldotna and Colony skate in the third-place game at 5 p.m. The championship game features Wasilla and Monroe at 7:30 p.m.

Wasilla 7, Colony 5

Big Lake Lions Classic semifinals

Friday, Big Lake

First period — 1. Wasilla- Engan (Conroy) 8:42; 2. Colony- Evans (Hessinger) 7:17; 3. Wasilla- Gudz (Clark, Abbott) 5:42; 4. Wasilla- Engan (unassisted) 3:07.

Second period — 5. Colony- Kirsch (unassisted) 14:38; 6. Colony- Avoletta (Riekena) 9:54; 7. Wasilla- Clark (Gudz, Moore) 6:00; 8. Wasilla- Engan (Conroy) 2:02.

Third period — 9. Colony- Avoletta (Smith, Reid) 12:49; 10. Colony- Havel (unassisted) 9:29; 11. Wasilla- Conroy (Moore) 8:30; 12. Wasilla- Conroy (penalty shot) 5:00.

Shots on goal: Colony 4-9-11—24, Wasilla 10-14-9—33; Saves: Wasilla- Campbell 3-7-9—19, Colony- Gamez 7-12-7—26.

Monroe Catholic 3, Soldotna 1

Big Lake Lions Classic semifinals

Friday, Big Lake

First period — 1. Monroe- Ott (M. Szumgala, Michel) 5:02.

Second period — 2. Monroe- Ott (Conley) 13:57.

Third period — 3. Monroe- Ott (unassisted) sh 14:41; 4. Soldotna- Brown (J. Urban, Brantley) 7:12.

Shots on goal: Soldotna 7-11-13—31, Monroe 9-14-5—38; Saves: Soldotna- Yoder 8-13-4—25, Monroe- Jankowski 7-11-12—30.

Palmer 3, Houston 2 OT

Big Lake Lions Classic

Friday, Big Lake

First period — 1. Houston- Rogers (Scott, Humphreys) 11:18; 2. Palmer- Ketterman (Wilson) 6:19.

Second period — 3. Palmer- Armstrong (Rosbenberg, Thiesen) 4:17; 4. Houston- Humphreys (no scoring) 2:30.

Third period — no scoring.

Overtime — 5. Palmer- Ketterman (Ropka, Wilson) 6:34.

Shots on goal: Palmer 16-20-19-1—56, Houston 9-8-24-0—41; Saves: Palmer- Grogan 8-7-24-0—39, Houston- Nix 15-19-19-0—53.

Kenai 8, Bartlett 7

Big Lake Lions Classic

Friday, Big Lake

First period — 1. Bartlett- Abrago (Bell) 7:37; 2. Bartlett- Bell (unassisted) 6:37; 3. Barlett- Mackin (Bell, Beado) 6:11; 4. Kenai- Mese (O’Brien) 3:16.

Second period — 5. Kenai- Mese (O’Brien) 10:48; 6. Bartlett- Bell (Mackin, Abrago) 10:18; 7. Barlett- Bell (Abrago) 10:08; 8. Bartlett- Bell (Abrago) 9:32; 9. Kenai- Mese (Hagel, Maxson) 7:08; 10. Kenai- Hawkins (Zorbas) 13:13; 11. Kenai- Zorbas (Hagel) 0:22; 12. Bartlett- Mackin (unassisted) 0:08.

Third period — 13. Kenai- Hawkins (Hagel) 13:13; 14. Kenai- Beisler (O’Brien, Hawkins) 11:27; 15. Kenai- O’Brien (unassisted) 0:36.

Shots on goal: Bartlett 13-16-12—42, Kenai 11-16-22—49; Saves: Bartlett- Henderson 10-11-20--41, Kenai- Williams 10-12-13--35