Warriors, Stars advance to conference title game

WASILLA — Another year, another trip to the North Star Conference title game.

Wasilla advanced to the region title game for the fourth straight year with a 3-0 win over Homer during the semifinal round of the NSC Championships at the Menard Arena in Wasilla Friday.

Troy Verplancke, Colton Fletcher and Jack Reeves scored for the Warriors during the win, and Lauren Massie recorded the shutout in the WHS net.

Tegan Harrington centered a pass from behind the net to Verplancke, who lifted a shot high into the Homer to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead in the second period.

Later in the second, Cooper Hanson slipped a puck forward to Fletcher, who broke away and beat Homer goalie Alex Sanarov. The breakaway tally gave Wasilla the 2-0 lead.

Hanson also set up Wasilla’s third goal of the game, a Reeves tally late in the game.

In the late game Friday, a late push in each period pushed the Soldotna Stars into state tournament for the first time since 2009.

Soldotna scored all four of its goals during the final two minutes of a respective period, and the Stars posted a 4-2 win over Palmer during the North Star Conference Championships semifinals at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Second-seeded Soldotna also moved into the NSC title game with the win, and will meet top seed Wasilla Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Menard.

Kenny Griffen, Jacob O’Lena, Nick Wrobel and Dalton Pearson each scored for Soldotna. The O’Lena, Wrobel and Pearson goals came on special teams.

Griffen buried a breakaway goal at the 1:29 mark of the first period to give his team the 1-0 lead. The underclassman picked up the loose puck in transition, skated free between the circles and beat Palmer goalie Ashton Good glove-side to put the Stars on the scoreboard.

The Griffen goal came several minutes after each had high-quality chances on net. Palmer freshman Josh Myers trickled a puck just inches wide of an open piece of the Soldotna net, and mere seconds later, Wrobel broke free but couldn’t not slip a puck by Good’s blocker.

Palmer used a power-play goal to tie the game at 1 midway through the second frame, but the Stars struck twice during the final two minutes of the second period.

O’Lena slapped a shot from the point that took an odd bounce into the back of the Palmer net, and SoHi led 2-0. Wrobel added to that advantage with a short handed tally 45 seconds later.

Pearson capped the scoring with a late power-play goal.

Jim Erickson tied the score at 1 for the Moose in the second. Freshman Christopher Dojka, from behind the net, put a shot off the side of the goal. The buck deflected and slid through the left wing circle. Erickson stepped up from his position on the blue line to slap a shot past SoHi goalie Cody Harvey.

Freshman Darren Fish recorded his second goal of the tourney, when he scored early in the third period. Fish, who knocked in a rebound of a Luke Wright shot at the 13:33 mark, cut SoHi’s lead to 3-2.

Good mark 25 saves for the Moose, who were outshot 29-19.

SoHi will face a Wasilla team that blanked Homer 3-0.

Troy Verplancke, Colton Fletcher and Jack Reeves scored for the Warriors.

Tegan Harrington centered a pass from behind the net to Verplancke, who lifted a shot high into the Homer to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead in the second period.

Later in the second, Cooper Hanson slipped a puck forward to Fletcher, who broke away and beat Homer goalie Alex Sanarov. The breakaway tally gave Wasilla the 2-0 lead.

Hanson also set up Wasilla’s third goal of the game, a Reeves tally late in the game.

With the win, Wasilla is making its fourth straight trip to the NSC title game.

Soldotna 4, Palmer 2

NSC semifinals

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Soldotna- Griffen (unassisted) 1:29.

Second period — 2. Palmer- Erickson (Dojka) pp 7:48; 3. Soldotna- O’Lena (Pearson) pp 1:56; 4. Soldotna- Wrobel (unassisted) sh 1:11.

Third period — 5. Palmer- Fish (Wright) 11:33; 6. Soldotna- Pearson (Wrobel) pp 1:32.

Shots on goal: Soldotna 7-10-12—29, Palmer 8-5-6—19; Soldotna- Harvey 8-4-5—17, Palmer- Good 6-8-11—25.

Wasilla 3, Homer 0

NSC semifinals

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Wasilla- Verplancke (Harrington) 9:15; 2. Wasilla- Fletcher (Hanson) 6:54.

Third period — 3. Wasilla- Reeves (Hanson) 1:09.

Shots on goal: Homer 6-5-6—17, Wasilla 9-11-11—31; Saves: Homer- A. Sanarov 9-9-10—28, Wasilla- Massie 6-5-6—17.

A late push in each period Friday night has pushed the Soldotna Stars into state tournament for the first time since 2009.

Soldotna scored all four of its goals during the final two minutes of a respective period, and the Stars posted a 4-2 win over Palmer during the North Star Conference Championships semifinals at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Second-seeded Soldotna also moved into the NSC title game with the win, and will meet top seed Wasilla Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Menard.

Kenny Griffen, Jacob O’Lena, Nick Wrobel and Dalton Pearson each scored for Soldotna. The O’Lena, Wrobel and Pearson goals came on special teams.

Griffen buried a breakaway goal at the 1:29 mark of the first period to give his team the 1-0 lead. The underclassman picked up the loose puck in transition, skated free between the circles and beat Palmer goalie Ashton Good glove-side to put the Stars on the scoreboard.

The Griffen goal came several minutes after each had high-quality chances on net. Palmer freshman Josh Myers trickled a puck just inches wide of an open piece of the Soldotna net, and mere seconds later, Wrobel broke free but couldn’t not slip a puck by Good’s blocker.

Palmer used a power-play goal to tie the game at 1 midway through the second frame, but the Stars struck twice during the final two minutes of the second period.

O’Lena slapped a shot from the point that took an odd bounce into the back of the Palmer net, and SoHi led 2-0. Wrobel added to that advantage with a short handed tally 45 seconds later.

Pearson capped the scoring with a late power-play goal.

Jim Erickson tied the score at 1 for the Moose in the second. Freshman Christopher Dojka, from behind the net, put a shot off the side of the goal. The buck deflected and slid through the left wing circle. Erickson stepped up from his position on the blue line to slap a shot past SoHi goalie Cody Harvey.

Freshman Darren Fish recorded his second goal of the tourney, when he scored early in the third period. Fish, who knocked in a rebound of a Luke Wright shot at the 13:33 mark, cut SoHi’s lead to 3-2.

Good mark 25 saves for the Moose, who were outshot 29-19.

Soldotna 4, Palmer 2

NSC semifinals

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Soldotna- Griffen (unassisted) 1:29.

Second period — 2. Palmer- Erickson (Dojka) pp 7:48; 3. Soldotna- O’Lena (Pearson) pp 1:56; 4. Soldotna- Wrobel (unassisted) sh 1:11.

Third period — 5. Palmer- Fish (Wright) 11:33; 6. Soldotna- Pearson (Wrobel) pp 1:32.

Shots on goal: Soldotna 7-10-12—29, Palmer 8-5-6—19; Soldotna- Harvey 8-4-5—17, Palmer- Good 6-8-11—25.

Wasilla 3, Homer 0

NSC semifinals

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Wasilla- Verplancke (Harrington) 9:15; 2. Wasilla- Fletcher (Hanson) 6:54.

Third period — 3. Wasilla- Reeves (Hanson) 1:09.

Shots on goal: Homer 6-5-6—17, Wasilla 9-11-11—31; Saves: Homer- A. Sanarov 9-9-10—28, Wasilla- Massie 6-5-6—17.