The Kenai Central and Soldotna hockey teams won Friday at the Peninsula Ice Challenge.
The Kardinals improved to 1-1 at the season-opening tournament by defeating Service 4-2 at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility. The Cougars are 0-2.
Kenai’s Mason Vermette scored the lone goal of the first period to put his team in front.
With 8:19 left in the second, Vermette scored again, assisted by Will Howard.
About two minutes later, the Kards were up 3-0 when Logan Mese scored on an assist from Howard.
Marshal Lavalley, assisted by Ricky Webb, cut it to 3-1 headed to the third.
With 8:00 left in the game, Sam Bigalke, with help from Cole Stoddard, cut the gap to 3-2.
Mese struck again with 1:26 left on an Avery Martin assist to salt away the game.
Levi Crawford had 15 saves for the Kardinals, while Suresh Navitsky stopped 30 for the Cougars.
Soldotna 6, Houston 3
The Stars scored a flurry of goals in the second period to overcome a 3-0 deficit after the first period at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. SoHi is 2-0, while Houston is 1-1.
For Houston in the first period, Daniel Matveev scored on assists from Brody Richard and Owen Hunter, Jairden Russell scored on an assist from Braiden Russell and Matveev scored again on assists from Jacob Mohar and Domnin Efimov.
The Stars had five goals in the second period.
Jace Applehans got the first two, with Boone Theiler and Payton Williams assisting on one, and Theiler assisting on the other.
Marshall Deraeve then scored unassisted, while Theiler scored on an assist from Williams and Williams scored on an assist from Mykah Booth.
Theiler then scored in the third unassisted.
Brycen Clyde and Tanner Clyde combined to make 22 saves for Soldotna, while Kole Kite and Dylan Shaffer had 12 saves for the Hawks.
Both Ice Challenge games on Saturday are at the multi-purpose facility.
Houston plays Service at 11:30 a.m. and Soldotna and Kenai face off at 2 p.m.
