Warriors own top spot in North Star Conference

Frontiersman.com

WASILLA — After a weekend full of hockey, the Wasilla Warriors are standing on top of the North Star Conference.

Saturday, Wasilla improved to 4-0-0 in conference play with a 5-3 win over Homer at the Brett Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla. The victory — combined with wins over Kenai Central and Soldotna earlier in the weekend — allowed the Warriors to stay in front of Colony (3-1-0) and Palmer (2-0-1) in the standings.

Friday, a pair of players combined for eight goals as Wasilla buried Kenai Central 13-2.

Alex Engan scored five goals to pace the Warriors. Russell Harran added a hat trick. Austin Stephens and Alex Clark furnished four assists each. Stephens, Tyler Lutz, Wyatt Moore, Dylan Abbott and Taylor Jones also scored for Wasilla.

Levi Mese scored both Kenai goals.

Thursday, Soldotna scored the quick lead, but a Wasilla senior helped the Wasilla Warriors grab the momentum.

Senior Garrett Conroy scored on a penalty shot, and used his two-goal night to lead Wasilla to a 4-1 NSC win over the Stars.

Conroy went top shelf to convert the penalty shot with 3:38 left in the first period to tie the score at 1, and provided the eventual game-winner with an unassisted tally early in the second.

Abbott and Engan also scored for Wasilla.

Soldotna took the early lead, scoring right off a draw in the Warriors defensive zone. Freshman Galen Brantley III won the face-off in the left wing circle, and quickly moved the puck to Jace Urban. Parked at the back door, Urban buried the puck to give the Stars the advantage.

Conroy scored his goal in similar fashion. He also won a draw in the left wing circle of his opponent’s defensive zone, play the puck to himself and found the back of the net. Later in the second period, Abbott gave Wasilla the two-goal lead, skating across the face of the crease before knocking a puck in.

Midway through the third, Engan deflected an Austin Stephens pass into the net.

Wasilla 13, Kenai 2

Friday, Brett Memorial Arena

First period — 1. Wasilla- Stephens (Harren, Clark) 11:53; 2. Wasilla- Harren (Stephens, Clark) 11:41; 3. Kenai- Mese (O’Brien, Zorbas) 10:49; 4. Wasilla- Harren (Clark) 7:01; 5. Wasilla- Engan (Conroy, Abbott) 1:52; 6. Kenai- Mese (unassisted) 0:10.

Second period — 7. Wasilla- Harren (Abbott, Jones) 6:12; 8. Wasilla- Engan (A. Bayliffe, Stephens) 5:05; 9. Wasilla- Lutz (Clark) 4:10; 10. Wasilla- Engan (Conroy, J. Bayliffe) 2:52; 11. Wasilla- Moore (Stephens, Harren) 0:33.

Third period — 12. Wasilla- Abbott (unassisted) 12:36; 13. Wasilla- Jones (unassisted) 12:29; 14. Wasilla- Engan (J. Bayliffe) 3:45.

Shots on goal: Kenai 6-5-2—13, Wasilla 23-17-11—41, Saves: Kenai- Williams 19-11-8—38, Wasilla- Carney 4-5-2—11.

Wasilla 4, Soldotna 1

Thursday, Brett Arena

First period — 1. Soldotna- J. Urban (Brantley) 10:06; 2. Wasilla- Conroy (penalty shot) 3:38.

Second period — 3. Wasilla- Conroy (unassisted) 11:21; 4. Wasilla- Abbott (Engan) 2:47.

Third period — 5. Wasilla- Engan (Stephens) 8:40.