Warriors rebound to finish tournament with win

WASILLA — Of the eight teams competing in the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Hockey Tournament, the Wasilla Warriors could argue the toughest draw during the first two days of the event.

Wasilla opened Thursday losing a tough 4-3 decision to a Lathrop team that’s only two years removed from winning a 4A state title. The following afternoon, Wasilla suffered a 2-1 loss to an East Anchorage team that stunned the Warriors in double overtime during the state tourney last year.

But after consecutive losses to start the tourney, Wasilla finally had a chance to celebrate victory on Saturday. Senior Wendell Harren and junior Chancie Hanson each scored twice to lead the Warriors to a 7-1 win over the Houston Hawks during the final day of the event.

“I’m certainly happy about this outcome,” Wasilla head coach Bill Sturdevant said after the win. “I knew looking at the bracket it was going to be a tough go.”

Sturdevant said it was nice to see his team rebound after a pair of difficult defeats.

“Coming off those first two games, one-goal losses, I thought our kids played really well,” Sturdevant said.

Sturdevant said he felt his team struggled early, however.

“We were looking pretty shaky after the first period, and definitely into the second period I thought we looked shaky,” Sturdevant said. “I thought we did settle down throughout the game.”

Harren scored late in the first to give the Warriors the lead, but Houston sophomore Lane Styers scored for the Hawks early in the second to tie the score at 1.

Wasilla finally was able to gain momentum later in the second when Hanson scored twice during the final seven minutes of the period. The captain weaved his way through the defense and unleashed a shot at the right wing circle to score with 6:39 left in the second. Hanson scored again with 43 left.

Hanson’s second goal was Wasilla’s second during a 30-second span.

Senior Mike Edwards tapped in the rebound of a William Harren attempt to give the Warriors the 3-1 lead. After the ensuing faceoff, Hanson scored his second goal to push the advantage to 4-1.

Tim Workman and Brianne Bohn netted third -period scores for Wasilla.

“I liked the production,” Sturdevant said.

Wasilla 7, Houston 1

Menard Tournament seventh-place game

Saturday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Wasilla- Wen. Harren (Ch. Hanson) 3:44.

Second period — 2. Houston- Styers (Humphreys) 4:36; 3. Wasilla- Ch. Hanson (Workman) 6:39; 4. Wasilla- Edwards (Wil. Harren) 1:05; 5. Wasilla- Ch. Hanson (unassisted) 0:47.

Third period — 6. Wasilla- Workman (Korsmo, Cooley) 10:45; 7. Wasilla- Wen. Harren (Johnson) 8:56; 8. Wasilla- Bohn (Wil. Harren) 8:06.

Shots on goal: Wasilla 12-15-14—41, Houston 6-9-6—21; Saves: Wasilla- Eastham 6-8-6—20, Houston-Barenburg 11-12-11—34.

T-Birds slip

by Warriors

WASILLA — Another game against East Anchorage, another case of heartbreak for the Wasilla Warriors.

With the memory of a 2-1 double overtime state tournament loss to East fresh in their minds, the Warriors watched East stun them again Friday afternoon.

East scored with 1.1 seconds left in regulation to steal a 2-1 win over the Warriors during the consolation semifinals of the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Tournament at the Menard Arena on Friday.

Kainoa Kitagawa knocked a loose puck into the Wasilla net during the final second to push East into the tourney’s fourth-place game.

“I really had no idea how it happened,” Wasilla head coach Bill Sturdevant said. “(The puck) seemed to be in the corner, and all the sudden it’s in our net.”

The T-Birds ended the period with a flurry of action in front of the Warrior net.

Sophomore goalie Zach Eastham stood strong for Wasilla, but Kitagawa was able to sneak one last shot in.

“It sounded like the East player really made a headsy play,” Sturdevant said. “It was a smart play. The kid showed a lot of moxy there.”

Junior captain Chancie Hanson scored early in the third period for the Warriors to tie the score at 1. With the Warriors skating on the power play, Hanson sent a shot from the point that found its way into the back of the T-Bird net.

Kitagawa gave the Birds the early lead in the first, scoring on the power play five minutes into action. Joseph Reynods set up the score with his hard shot on goal, an attempt that left a rebound sitting alone on the right wing circle. Kitawaga skated up to the puck and put a sharp wrister into the far, upper shelf of the net.

Hanson not only scored the lone goal, the captain led a stellar Warrior effort on defense.

“The strength of our team is the blue line,” Sturdevant said. “The more we can get them involved in the play, the better. I was really happy with the way we got sticks in the late. It was not only the defense. Our forwards were dropping to block pucks.”

Eastham also stood out, stopping 29 shots in the game. He made 13 saves in the second period.

East Anchorage 2, Wasilla 1

Menard Tournament consolation semifinals

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. East- K. Kitagawa (Reynolds, Lucey) pp 10:04.

Second period — no scoring.

Third period — 3. Wasilla- Ch. Hanson (McRee, Trush) 14:26; 4. East- K. Kitagawa (unassisted) 0:01.1.

Shots on goal: East 11-13-7—31; Wasilla 8-7-12—27; Saves; East- J. Luiten 8-7-11—26, Wasilla- Eastham 10-13-6—29.