The Kenai Central hockey team defeated Chugiak 4-3 in overtime in nonconference action Thursday at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility.
The Division II Kardinals moved to 3-4 overall and 2-0 against teams from the Division I Cook Inlet Conference with the victory.
On Nov. 8, Kenai defeated South 4-3.
In both games, Logan Mese had the game-winner. Against South, Mese scored with 1:09 left in the game. Against the Mustangs, Mese scored with 5:16 left in the 8-minute sudden death overtime. The assist went to Avery Martin.
“That team is super good and really well coached,” Kenai head coach Steve Hallam said of the Mustangs. “It’s a big win for us.”
The win also expands the legend of Mese. The senior had two goals and an assist.
“The highlight reel speaks for itself,” Hallam said. “One of the things I love about Logan, he’s such a good individual too.
“He’s such a great player, but he’s also such a good person. He’s always got the right attitude.”
Mese didn’t even have the play of the game. That belonged to senior Gavin Liles.
Trailing 3-2 in the final minute, Kenai had the puck in the Chugiak zone, but the Mustangs had possession with under 10 seconds to play.
Liles managed to force a turnover and score unassisted with 5.9 seconds showing on the clock.
“He got the hustle play,” Hallam said. “He got the turnover. And he just buried it.”
The Mustangs came into the game 2-0 and looked well on their way to 3-0 in the first period. Chugiak led 2-0 after the first 15 minutes on a pair of goals by Max McFall.
“We were able to execute,” said Chugiak head coach Rodney Wild, now in his 26th year at the helm. “We passed pucks on tape and we were moving our feet pretty well. We took advantage of opportunities.
“Then as the game went on, we lost that crispness. Part of it is it’s only our third game.”
Chugiak won the shot count 27-23 for the game, and that advantage came from outshooting the Kards 12-7 in the first frame.
Hallam gave credit to the senior leaders for steadying the ship.
“It was kind of a rough start, but we’ve got a lot of resilience,” he said. “Our team is so talented, but sometimes we kind of have that rocky start.”
Martin appeared to get the Kardinals some momentum with a goal with 7:19 left in the second period, but Chugiak answered right back less than a minute later on a power-play goal from Cash Runyan.
The third period featured some tight defensive hockey with very few opportunities.
Hallam said goalie Evyn Witt, who had 24 saves, came up huge in turning away Chugiak’s chances. Weston Braunwarth stopped 19 for the Mustangs.
“Late in the game, there was a couple nearly one-on-one scenarios,” Hallam said. “He stood his ground and made some pretty big saves.”
Mese was able to convert a Martin assist with 8:30 to bring Kenai within one and set up the heroics of Liles.
“They’re very opportunistic and they earned the victory they got tonight,” Wild said.
The Chugiak coach said this is the perfect early season trip to play some good hockey teams and bond for the rest of the season.
Chugiak also plays Soldotna at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex at 3:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
After the Friday game, the Mustangs get to watch Carter McCormick, the brother of Chugiak skater Landon McCormick, skate for the Kenai River Brown Bears.
“We looked good for certain periods of the game,” Wild said. “We’re just lacking that consistency that I think will come as we continue to play some more games.”
Kenai hosts Kodiak at 7 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday in Northern Lights Conference play.
“That’s going to be our key now, to not sag after this,” Hallam said. “This is a huge, big, emotional win. But the next two games are really, really important for us.”
Thursday
Kardinals 4, Mustangs 3, OT
Chu 2 1 0 0 —3
Ken 0 1 2 1 —4
First period — 1. Chugiak, McFall (Yawit, Theis), 2:49. 2. Chugiak, McFall (Theis, Yawit), 7:06. Penalties — Chugiak 3 for 6:00; Kenai 2 for 4:00.
Second period — 3. Kenai, Martin (Mese, Langham), 7:41. 4. Chugiak, Runyan (Gray, Greninger), pp, 8:14. Penalties — Kenai 2 for 4:00.
Third period — 5. Kenai, Mese (Martin), 6:60. 6. Kenai, Liles (un.), 14:55. Penalties — Chugiak 1 for 2:00.
Overtime — 7. Kenai, Mese (Martin), 2:44. Penalties — none.
Shots on goal — Chugiak 12-7-7-1—27; Kenai 7-5-8-3—23.
Goalies — Chugiak, Braunwarth (23 shots, 19 saves); Kenai, Witt (27 shots, 24 saves).
Power plays — Chugiak 1 for 3, Kenai 0 for 3.
Kenai Central’s Gavin Liles ties the game with Chugiak with 5.9 seconds left Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Chugiak’s Callum Maghupoy and Kenai Central’s Avery Martin battle for the puck Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central goalie Evyn Witt makes a save in front of Kenai Central’s Sawyer Vann and Chugiak’s Morgan Greninger on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
