The Soldotna hockey team finished up a big three-game homestand with a 2-1 victory over Homer on Saturday in Railbelt Conference play at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.
The Stars got conference wins over Juneau on Thursday and Friday, then nipped the Mariners on Saturday to improve to 10-6-1 overall and 5-2-1 in the league. Homer drops to 5-9-1 and 4-4-1.
Soldotna head coach Anthony Zurfluh texted after the victory that the successful three-game stretch took a total team effort. Zurfluh said he played all four lines, and both goalies Ayden See and Tanner Clyde were able to get victories.
Saturday, the victory belonged to See, as he made 23 saves. Dylan Dahlgren, a defenseman, also had a big game with a goal and an assist.
All of the scoring happened in the first five minutes of the second period.
Just 21 seconds after intermission, Boone Theiler got the Stars on the board off of assist from Aiden Stinnett and Dahlgren.
Homer answered back less than a minute later when Micah Williamson scored on assists from Elias Allen and Casey Otis.
With 10:22 left in the eventful second period, Dahlgren, with help from Gehret Medcoff, netted the game-winner on the power play.
Keegan Strong made 24 saves for the Mariners.
Kenai 3, Juneau 1
Jacob Begich had a hat trick, and Carson Koppes made 33 saves, as the Kardinals got back on track in the Railbelt Conference with a victory over the Crimson Bears on Saturday at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility.
The Kards, who had lost Friday at home to Homer, improve to 10-7-1 and 6-2-1 in the league. Kenai also had defeated Juneau 5-4 in overtime on Dec. 4.
With 10:32 left in the first period, Joey Meier got Juneau off on the right foot with an unassisted goal.
With just 13 seconds left in the first period, Begich got his first goal of the game on assists from Daniel Shelden and Sawyer Vann.
In the second period, Begich kept rolling with an unassisted goal.
In the third, Begich finished off the hat trick with 13:14 to play. Reagan Graves assisted on the goal.
Mason Sooter stopped 19 for the Crimson Bears.
Soldotna 4, Juneau-Douglas 3
The Stars scored late in the third period to pick up a Railbelt Conference victory over the Crimson Bears on Friday night at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. SoHi moves to 9-6-1 overall and 4-2-1 in the league.
With 2:16 remaining in the game, SoHi’s Boone Theiler broke a 3-all tie on a goal assisted by Silas Larsen and Josh O’Lena. Theiler and Larsen both had two goals in the game, while Larsen also had a pair of assists.
“Kind of a gut check for our team,” SoHi head coach Anthony Zurfluh texted. “We responded with our backs to the wall.”
Juneau took the lead in the first period on a goal by Sam Bovitz, but Larsen, assisted by Aiden Burcham, had things all square by the first intermission.
In the second period, the Stars had two goals on the board by the 10:51 mark to take a 3-1 lead. Theiler scored on assist from Larsen and Dylan Dahlgren, and Larsen scored on assists from Gehret Medcoff and Burcham.
But Juneau bounced right back, tying the game by the 9:06 mark in the second period. Andre Peirovi had both of the goals.
Tanner Clyde picked up the win in net for the Stars with 19 saves, while Mason Sooter saved 17 for the Crimson Bears.
Homer 4, Kenai Central 1
Friday at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Railbelt Conference play, the Mariners topped the Kardinals for the first time in three tries this season.
Kenai had defeated Homer 5-4 in overtime on Nov. 5 and 7-1 on Nov. 20. The Kardinals fall to 9-7-1 overall and 5-2-1 in the league, while Homer is 5-8-1 and 4-3-1.
Makary Reutov got the Mariners started with a goal in the first period, but Landen Cialek, assisted by Jacob Begich and Caden Warren, had the game tied by the first intermission.
In the second period, Hunter Green, assisted by Matfey Reutov and Toby Nevak, put Homer out front to stay.
In the third period, Matfey Reutov scored twice, assisted by Brock Barth.
Keegan Strong made 22 saves for the Mariners, while Carson Koppes stopped 30.
Stars 4, Juneau 3
Juneau 1 2 0 —3
Soldotna 1 2 1 —4
First period — 1. Juneau, Bovitz (Kohlhasse, Johns), 9:29; 2. Soldotna, Larsen (Burcham), 10:20. Penalties — Juneau 1 for 2:00; Soldotna 1 for 2:00.
Second period — 3. Soldotna, Theiler (Larsen, Dahlgren), 0:21; 4. Soldotna, Larsen (Medcoff, Burcham), pp, 4:09; 5. Juneau, A. Peirovi (Moller, Murdoch), 4:18; 6. Juneau, Peirovi (Shibler, Meier), pp, 10:54. Penalties — Juneau 1 for 2:00; Soldotna 4 for 19:00.
Third period — 7. Soldotna, Theiler (Larsen, O’Lena), 12:44. Penalties — Juneau 4 for 19:00; Soldotna 2 for 4:00.
Shots on goal — Juneau 12-7-3—22; Soldotna 7-8-6—21.
Goalies — Juneau, Sooter (21 shots, 17 saves); Soldotna, Clyde (22 shots, 19 saves).
Mariners 4, Kardinals 1
Homer 1 1 2 —4
Kenai 1 0 0 —1
First period — 1. Homer, Mak. Reutov (No. 5, Green), 6:25; 2. Kenai, Cialek (Begich, Warren), 12:04. Penalties — Kenai 2 for 4:00.
Second period — 3. Homer, Green (Mat. Reutov, Nevak), 0:47. Penalties — Homer 3 for 6:00.
Third period — 4. Homer, Mat. Reutov (Barth), 6:12; 5. Homer, Mat. Reutov (Barth), 12:45. Penalties — Kenai 2 for 4:00.
Shots on goal — Homer 13-9-12—34; Kenai 7-7-9—23.
Goalies — Homer, Strong (23 shots, 22 saves); Kenai, Koppes (34 shots, 30 saves).
Saturday
Kardinals 3, Crimson Bears 1
Juneau 0 0 1 —1
Kenai 1 1 1 —3
First period — 1. Juneau, Meier (un.), 4:28; 2. Kenai, Begich (Shelden, Vann), 14:47. Penalties — none.
Second period — 3. Kenai, Begich (un.), 7:33. Penalties — Kenai 2 for 4:00; Juneau 1 for 2:00.
Third period – 4. Kenai, Begich (Graves), 1:46. Penalties — Kenai 4 for 8:00; Juneau 2 for 4:00.
Shots on goal — Juneau 7-11-16—34; Kenai 9-8-5—22.
Goalies — Juneau, Sooter (22 shots, 19 saves); Kenai, Coppes (34 shots, 33 saves).
Stars 2, Mariners 1
Homer 0 1 0 —1
Soldotna 0 2 0 —2
First period — none. Penalties — Homer 1 for 2:00.
Second period — 1. Soldotna, Theiler (Stinnett, Dahlgren), 0:21; 2. Homer, Williamson (Allen, Otis), 1:15; 3. Soldotna, Dahlgren (Medcoff), pp, 4:38. Penalties — Homer 1 for 2:00; Soldotna 1 for 2:00.
Third period — none. Penalties — none.
Shots on goal — Homer 8-9-7—24; Soldotna 10-10-8—28.
Goalies — Homer, Strong (26 shots, 24 saves); Soldotna, See (24 shots, 23 saves).
