Warriors score 5 unanswered goals in win over Moose

PALMER — A three-goal lead for a squad undefeated in conference play may appear safe. But not if that team gets away from its game plan.

Following a second-period hiccup, the Wasilla Warriors needed a big third period to get past its oldest rival. Wasilla used five unanswered goals to skate to an 8-3 win over the Palmer Moose Thursday night at the MTA Events Center in Palmer.

Wasilla led 3-0 after the first, but Palmer scored three times within the first 10 minutes of the second period to knot the game at 3.

“We played well in that first period, and then we came out a little too cocky,” Wasilla head coach Trent Schachle said after the win. “If you don’t come in ready to play, it can turn around on a dime. That’s what they did to us. They out-worked us (in the second period). Hats off to them.”

But the third was a different story.

Wasilla scored three times in the third. But that was not the key stat in Schachle’s mind.

“We held them to one shot in the third period,” Schachle said. “That’s our M.O. Got to play defense first.”

And as Wasilla’s play on defense improved, the offense came as well.

And it came in bunches.

Wasilla, which improved to 9-0-0 in North Star Conference play, scored its final three goals during a 42-second span in the third period.

At the 8:05 mark, Alex Engan set up a Garrett Conroy goal that gave the Warriors the 6-3 lead. Twenty-one seconds later, the linemates switched roles, and Conroy notched the first assist on an Engan goal.

In another 21 seconds, Alex Clark scored Wasilla’s third goal of the period.

Clark, Conroy and Engan scored two goals each in the win. Defensemen Dylan Abbott and Austin Stephens also scored for the Warriors.

Clark, Conroy and Engan had a goal each in the first to give Wasilla the 3-0 lead, but Palmer marched back in the second. Chase Rosenberg put the Moose on the scoreboard with a goal at the 13:10 mark of the second. At the 8:55 mark, Jaron Ketterman sent a pass across the face of the crease to Darien Wilson, who tapped a shot in for Palmer’s second goal. Ketterman rounded out the scoring about three minutes later with Palmer’s third goal of the game.

Wasilla outshot Palmer 45-17 in the win. Palmer goalie Cody Grogan made 37 saves. Sean Carney had 14 stops for the Warriors.

Palmer dropped to 3-6-1 in conference play with the loss.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Wasilla 8, Palmer 3

Thursday, MTA Events Center

First period — 1. Wasilla- Clark (Moore) 12;19; 2. Wasilla- Conroy (Engan, Clark) 6:42; 3. Wasilla- Engan (Conroy) 0:20.

Second period — 4. Palmer- Rosenburg (Hooks, Scully) 13:10; 5. Palmer- Wilson (Ketterman, M. Armstrong) 8:55; 6. Palmer- Ketterman (Thiesen, Welch) pp 5:46; 7. Wasilla- Abbott (unassisted) 4:38; 8. Wasilla- Stephens (Conroy) sh 0:43.

Third period — 9. Wasilla- Conroy (Engan, Abbott) 8:05; 10. Wasilla- Engan (Conroy, Larson) 7:44; 11. Wasilla- Clark (Harren, Schachle) 7:23.

Shots on goal: Wasilla 18-13-14—45, Palmer 6-10-1—17; Saves: Wasilla- Carney 6-7-1—14, Palmer- Grogan 15-11-11—37.