Warriors, Knights skate to tie

WASILLA — Not even an extra period of hockey could determine a winner Thursday evening.

Colony freshman Gunner Stadem netted a late goal to force overtime and Knights senior Colton Beebe made a number of game-saving stops during the extra period as the Knights skated to a 3-3 tie with rival Wasilla Thursday night at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Wasilla freshman goalie Wyatt Monear made four saves during the eight-minute overtime period, and 18 saves overall, to help force the tie. The teams skated into the game locked in a first-place tie in the North Star Conference, and remain tied at 6-2-1 overall. Wasilla does own the tiebreaker over Colony, thanks to a 4-1 win over the Knights in November.

Wasilla head coach Trent Schachle said the Warriors saw a different Knights team Thursday night. But the Warriors also didn’t utilize their style, he said.

“Our name of the game is outworking teams. We didn’t outwork them tonight,” Schachle said. “They outworked us getting to pucks and stuff like that. We had our opportunities in the third period when we were working hard, but didn’t bury them.”

Wasilla outshot Colony 35-21 in the tie, and forced Beebe to make a number of big saves.

“He played really good,” Schachle said of Beebe.

Wasilla and Colony combined for four goals during a back-and-fourth third period, which featured two ties and two lead changes.

Tanner Schachle scored twice in the third, giving his team the lead with each goal. Schachle knocked in the rebound of a Cooper Hanson shot at the 10:50 mark to give the Warriors the 2-1 lead. With 8:15 left in the second, Curtis Foster deflected a Jake Elwell shot from just inside the blueline to tie the score at 2.

Schachle struck again less than 30 seconds later. The junior forward raced up the left wing, beat the defense and used a quick move in front of the crease to beat Beebe.

Wasilla held the slim 3-2 advantage until late in regulation. Colony earned a power-play chance at the 1:31 mark of the third and needed only 12 seconds to convert. Logan Sanders slipped a pass between the circles to Foster, who found Stadem at the left wing circle. The freshman snapped the puck into the far side of the net to tie the game at 3.

The Knights were 2 for 4 on the power play. Foster scored with the advantage in the first period.

“Our special teams saved our bacon tonight,” Colony head coach Jamie Smith said. “No doubt about it.”

Colony held the 1-0 lead in the second period. Wasilla’s Luke Schruf tied the game at the 8:21 mark of the second period.

Both teams had chances to bury the game-winner in overtime. Wasilla had a handful of quality opportunities stopped by Beebe.

Schachle had the puck right in front of the crease with two minutes left in overtime. Schruf had a big shot from the circle knocked away by Beebe’s glove hand. Jack Reeves picked up the rebound and tried to wrap it around the backside of the net, but Beebe made the stop.

“He’s gigantic,” Smith said of Beebe’s play.

With the tie, Wasilla does own the tiebreaker over the Knights. Both teams will finish their regular season against Palmer. The Moose host Colony tonight at the MTA Events Center. Palmer hosts Wasilla next Friday.

Wasilla 3, Colony 3

Thursday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Colony- Foster (Symbol) pp 6:46.

Second period — 2. Wasilla- Schruf (Butcher, Carricaburu) 8:21.

Third period — 3. Wasilla- Schachle (Hanson, Cook) 10:50; 4. Wasilla- Schachle (T. Hansen) 7:46; 5. Colony- Stadem (Foster, Sanders) pp 1:19.

Shots on goal: Wasilla 6-2-9-4—21, Colony 11-11-7-6—35; Saves: Wasilla- Monear 5-2-7-4—18; Colony- Beebe 11-10-5-6—32.

Knights skate past Wolves

EAGLE RIVER — Colton Symbol scored a pair of third-period goals to help Colony score a 4-2 nonconference win over Eagle River Tuesday at the MacDonald Arena in Eagle River.

Mark Thygeson and Gunner Stadem also scored for CHS.

Colony 4, Eagle River 2

Tuesday, MacDonald Arena

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Eagle River- Davis (unassisted) 14:41; 2. Colony- Thygeson (Boyer, Kolendo) 1:51.

Third period — 3. Colony- Stadem (Boyer, Symbol) pp 11:50; 4. Colony- Symbol (Stadem) 6:23; 5. Eagle River- Davis (Beebe) 4:28; 6. Colony- Symbol (Boyer) 0:08.

Shots on goal: Colony 4-12-12—28, Eagle River 6-9-8—23; Saves: Colony- Beebe 6-8-7—21, Eagle River- Hammann 4-11-9—24.