Warriors skate past Knights; West wins Palmer tourney

PALMER — A long weekend and a short bench is not exactly the best combination. But an early lead can always help out.

Wasilla, playing in its third game in as many days with only a dozen skaters in uniform, used a pair of first-period goals to grab a 4-2 win over rival Colony during the final day of the Palmer Hockey Showdown Saturday at the MTA Events Center in Palmer.

“Skating only two lines most of the whole weekend, having only 12 skaters on the bench, with three games in three days, that’s hard to do,” Wasilla head coach Trent Schachle said. “I told the kids in the locker room, we need to go out there and hard as we can, and play our game.”

Braden Brunnhoelzl kickstarted his three-point afternoon with an early goal, and Porter Schachle added a first-period score to help Wasilla finish 2-1 in the tournament. Russell Harren and Alex Engan also scored for the Warriors.

Wasilla goalie Zach Curry recorded 22 saves during the win over the Knights, and stopped 43 of the 46 shots he saw during the final two days of the tournament.

“I thought our goalie, Zach, had a great weekend,” Schachle said. “After the West game, he came back really composed and played really well for us.”

Wasilla opened its weekend with an 8-3 loss to West Anchorage Thursday. Curry rebounded with a 21-save effort during a 7-1 win over Homer Friday.

Saturday, Curry helped deny a late Colony push. The Knights netted both of their goals during the third period. Dayne Cole put the Knights on the scoreboard early in the third period. Jacob Kirsh added a goal with 4:22 left in regulation.

Joey Diltz finished with 24 saves for Colony.

West Anchorage stormed to the title of the inaugural Palmer Hockey Showdown. After its 8-3 win over Wasilla Thursday, the Eagles followed with a 3-0 win over Colony Friday night. West capped its weekend with an 11-0 victory over host Palmer Saturday afternoon.

Conroy, Harren and Porter Schachle each scored twice during Wasilla’s 7-1 win over Homer. Engan added a goal. Schachle scored twice during the loss to West.

Host Palmer finished 1-1-1 in the tournament. The Moose opened with 3-3 tie against Homer Thursday night. Chris Dojka bagged a goal with 1:55 left in regulation to force the tie. Darren Fish scored twice for the Moose. Goalie Lev Robertson made 11 saves in the tie.

The Moose followed with a 4-1 win over North Pole Friday. Noah Richards sparked the Moose with a power-play goal early in the second period. Fish added a power-play goal late in the third. Dojka and Valary Dietz also scored for the Moose.

Goalie Cody Grogan made 28 saves in the victory.

Colony finished 1-2 in the tournament.

The Knights opened with a 6-2 win over North Pole Thursday. Cy Eller led Colony with a pair of goals against the Patriots. Jake Hessinger, Cade Havel, Jacob Kirsch and Jarek Schultz also scored for CHS.

Alexander Gamez and Cole Doss both saw time in the Colony net. Gamez played the first two periods, and made 15 saves. Doss stopped all 12 shots he saw in the third.

For complete results, see frontiersman.com/sports.

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

Wasilla 4, Colony 2

Palmer Hockey Showdown

Saturday, MTA Events Center

First period — 1. Wasilla- Brunnhoelzl (unassisted) 12:43; 2. Wasilla- Schachle (Conroy) 4:03.

Second period — no scoring.

Third period — 3. Colony- Cole (Riekena, Thiele) 12:22; 4. Wasilla- Harren (Brunnhoelzl) 7:22; 5. Colony- Kirsch (Smith, Riekena) 4:27; 6. Wasilla- Engan (Brunnhoelzl) en 0:55.

Shots on goal: Wasilla 7-8-13—28, Colony 6-9-9—24; Saves: Wasilla- Curry 6-9-7—22, Colony- Diltz 5-8-11—24.

West 11, Palmer 0

Palmer Hockey Showdown

Saturday, MTA Events Center

First period — 1. West- Edwards (Bruner) 14:43; 2. West- Bruner (Bardsley, M. Fair) 10:42; 3. West- Bruner (Bardsley, Edwards) 6:39; 4. West- Mack (Helgeson) 6:21; 5. West- Edwards (Bardsley, Bruner) 2:48.

Second period — 6. West- Cummings (Mack, Helgeson) 12:05; 7. West- D. Hamm (R. Hamm) sh 8:10; 8. West- R. Hamm (D. Hamm) 3:38; 9. West- Mack (Helgeson) 1:55.

Third period — 10. West- Bardsley (unassited) 9:41; 11. West- Courier (D. Hamm, Pickett) 6:40.

Shots on goal: West 14-10-20—44, Palmer 5-6-2—13; Saves: West- Saville 5-6-2—13; Palmer- Grogan 3-x-18—21, Robertson 6-6-x—12.

North Pole 5, Homer 2

Palmer Hockey Showdown

Saturday, MTA Events Center

First period — 1. North Pole- Donovan (Laszloffy) 6:50.

Second period — 2. Homer- Menke (unassisted) 8:20; 3. North Pole- Donovan (Laszloffy, Latham) 2:14.

Third period — 4. North Pole- Donovan (Laszloffy, Groesbeck) 10:25; 5. Homer- Kuzmin (B. Larson) 9:40; 6. North Pole- Frarey (unassisted) 8:05; 7. North Pole- Laszloffy (Donovan) 0:57.

Shots on goal: North Pole 11-11-12—34, Homer 12-8-10—30, Saves: North Pole- Walker 12-7-9—28, Homer- H. Larson 10-10-9—29.

Palmer 4, North Pole 1

Palmer Hockey Showdown

Friday, MTA Events Center

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Palmer- Richards (Fish) pp 11:48; 2. Palmer- Dietz (Christiansen, Dojka) 7:42; 3. North Pole- Groesbeck (Lathom) pp 4:03.

Third period — 4. Palmer- Dojka (Hanson, Webb) 7:57; 5. Palmer- Fish (Richards, Foster) pp 3:40.

Shots on goal: North Pole 13-10-6—29, Palmer 4-14-13—31; Saves: North Pole- Walker 4-12-11—27, Palmer- Grogan 13-9-6—28.

Wasilla 7, Homer 1

Palmer Hockey Showdown

Friday, MTA Events Center

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Wasilla- Conroy (Schachle) 12:13; 2. Wasilla- Schachle (Harren, Conroy) 4:39; 3. Wasilla- Harren (Brunnhoelzl, Stephens) 2:00; 4. Homer- Kuzmin (Butcher) 00:03.

Third period — 5. Wasilla- Harren (Conroy) 10:41; 6. Wasilla- Engan (Harren, Brunnhoelzl) 10:26; 7. Wasilla- Conroy (Schachle, O. Matson) 8:40; 8. Wasilla- Schachle (Harren, D. Matson) 4:01.

Shots on goal: Homer 8-6-5—22, Wasilla 10-15-14—39; Saves: Homer- Swanson 10-12-10—32; Wasilla- Curry 8-5-6—21.

West Anchorage 3, Colony 0

Palmer Hockey Showdown

Friday, MTA Events Center

First period — 1. West- M. Fair (unassisted) pp 9:52.

Second period — 2. West- Mack (Cummings, O. Fair) 13:19.

Third period — 3. West- M. Fair (unassisted) pp 11:11.

Shots on goal: West 10-17-12—39, Colony 9-6-3—18; Saves: West- Saville 9-6-3—18, Colony- J. Diltz 9-16-11—36.