Wolfpack edge Knights

WASILLA — Another day. Another game. Another big third period. And another win for the West Valley Wolfpack.

West Valley scored a pair of unanswered goals in the third period for the second straight night and skated to a 3-1 win over the Colony Knights during the second round of the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Hockey Tournament at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Sophomore Tanner Shoemaker and junior Andrew Johnson scored for the Wolfpack in a third period dominated by West Valley.

Not only did West Valley notch those two scores, but the Wolfpack out-shot Colony 13-1 during the final frame.

“We were buzzing,” West Valley head coach Wayne Sawchuk said. “They wanted to get into that championship game.”

West Valley had nine power-play chances in the game, but even though only two of those extra-man opportunities came in the third period with a 5-on-3 chance late in the game, it looked like the Wolfpack were skating with the advantage for much of the final period.

“We got better as the game went on,” Sawchuk said. “We gave up only one shot in the third.”

That attempt, a Lance Nezaticky wrist shot from the left circle, came with 50 seconds left in regulation.

Before that, Colony was only able to manage two attempts that flew wide of the net.

The West Valley pressure kept Colony freshman netminder Forest Savel spinning like a top for much of the third. With his head on a swivel, the young goaltender turned a way most of West Valley’s chances, stopping 11 shots in the final frame, and watching as many more attempts whizzed by the Colony goal.

“He played really well,” Sawchuk said of Savel. “I thought he was the best player on the ice for both teams.”

Shoemaker finally cracked Savel for the Wolfpack with seven minutes remaining in regulation, when he threw a shot toward the net from the left boards. The shot from a hard angle sent Savel sliding on his pads to the right, and the puck popped into the left side of the net.

With just more than a minute remaining, West Valley scored its second power-play goal of the game when Johnson sent a shot from the point by Savel.

“Penalties are what’s going to kill us in the long run and it caught up to us,” Colony first-year head coach Dan Belanger said.

Colony took the early 1-0 lead when Nezaticky’s seeing-eye shot found its way into the Wolfpack net. Nezaticky sent a shot from a hard angle that bounced past Wolfpack goalie Katrina Lydon.

“You’ve got to give Colony credit,” Sawchuk said. “They played hard from the start. They got that first goal and got us back on our heels.”

Patrick Evans scored on the power play midway through the first to tie the score for the Wolpack. Captain Zach Winner sent a sharp pass in from the blue line that found the blade of the stick of Evans, who was camped out right in front of the Colony net.

Despite the loss, Belanger said he was pleased with the play of a young Colony squad that includes just one senior on the roster.

“They did play real well,” Belanger said. “I’m actually impressed.”

On Saturday, West Anchorage skated to a 6-2 win over the Knights in the tourney’s third place game.

Kevin Boyer gave the Knigths the early lead with a goal just 1 minutes and 20 seconds into play. Nickerson also scored for CHS.

West Valley 3, Colony 1

Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Hockey Tournament

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Colony- Nezaticky (unassisted) 10:23, 2. West Valley-

Evans (Winner) pp 7:44.

Second period — no scoring.

Third period — 3. West Valley- Shoemaker (unassisted) 7:02, 4. West

Valley- Johnson (Brady) pp 1:22.

Shots on goal: West Valley 9-4-13—26, Colony 5-5-1—11; Saves: West Valley-

Lydon 4-5-1—10, Colony- Savel 8-4-11—23.

West Anchorage 6, Colony 2

Saturday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Colony- Boyer (Nickerson, Nezaticky) 13:30, 2. West- Langford (unassisted) 3:15, 3. West- Bailey (Street) 2:07.

Second period —4. West- Wistoff (unassisted) 10:28, 5. West- Stars (Dahl) 8:01.

Third period —6. West- Coles (Bailey) 13:40, 7. West- Barth (Meisler) 2:52, 8. Colony- Nickerson (Nezaticky) 2:47.

Shots on goal: West 22-11-20—53, Colony 3-6-3—12; Saves: West- Sleater 2-6-2—10, Colony- Holman 20-9-x—29, Murak x-x-18