The Kenai Central hockey team defeated Kodiak 5-1 on Thursday in nonconference action at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility.

Both teams are in the Northern Lights Conference, but the Kardinals already bagged their two conference victories over the Bears in mid-November.

With Kodiak coming over to the Kenai Peninsula to play Homer at Kevin Bell Ice Arena on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m., this game was added to the schedule to give the trip more bang for the buck.

“We’re desperate for as many games as we possibly can get,” Kodiak head coach John Glover said. “So we appreciate the fact that Kenai was willing to give us a game.”

The Kardinals are now 8-5 overall, while the Bears are 0-8. Glover said playing less games than other programs is a challenge.

“The struggle that Kodiak is always going to have is consistent competition,” Glover said. “When you play yourself, it’s really hard to elevate the compete level.”

The head coach said competition is really helpful this season because the Bears are so young. Of the 18 in the program, two are seniors and three are juniors. Eight seniors graduated after last season.

“Our mantra this year, because we’re so young, it’s really just trying to learn something every shift,” Glover said. “We know we’re not going to compete all the time, right?

“But we’re getting closer every game.”

Kenai head coach Steve Hallam also said the game was great experience for his team.

The Kardinals have a ton of firepower in forwards Logan Mese and Avery Martin, defensemen Sawyer Vann and Cole Langham, and goalie Evyn Witt.

Hallam leans on that firepower in high-stakes games, but Thursday he was able to roll four lines of forwards and six defensemen.

“As a coach, one of the things I hate most is sometimes guys don’t see as much ice as you would like,” Hallam said. “So it was really nice.

“Everyone on the bench was really positive and everyone’s seeing ice.”

Seanna Swanson also got her first varsity game in net this season, making eight saves.

“She’s just a natural athlete,” Hallam said. “She knows where to be in good position. She moves well.”

Kodiak struck first on a two-on-none with 7:40 left in the first period.

Cooper Smith faked the shot and passed to a wide-open Ronan Hinman in front.

Glover said the Bears don’t get much time in the offensive zone, so Smith’s composure during the scoring chance was impressive.

“I don’t think anybody thought he was going to pass,” the coach said. “It was a nice deke.

“Thank God the other guy was ready for it.”

Hallam took note of his team’s response to the goal on the bench and liked the resilience.

“Everybody was pretty calm and just like, ‘Back to work,’” he said.

Having a player like Mese can lead to such calm, and the senior turned loose some unassisted magic on the power play to tie the game with 3:49 left in the first period.

With 40 seconds left in the first, Noah Hallam banged home the rebound on a Martin attempt.

In the second period, Vann made it 3-1.

With 5:47 left in the third, junior Mason Butler scored unassisted for his first varsity goal. Hallam said Butler played mostly JV as a freshman, played both JV and varsity as a sophomore, and is mainly varsity this season.

“Getting his first varsity goal as a junior, that’s pretty cool,” Hallam said. “He’s been with us all three years and plays a lot of hockey.”

Vann finished off the scoring with an unassisted goal.

Garrett Wood made 25 saves for the Bears.

“None of those goals were his fault,” Glover said. “He really did his part.”

Hallam said the play of all the lines was just what Kenai needed headed to a 7 p.m. showdown with Soldotna on Tuesday at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility.

“They played well,” he said. “They were even and consistent. I’m proud of them.”

Glover also said the game set the Bears up well for Homer.

“We were hoping to come in here and compete, which I think we did,” he said. “We got a little bit of O zone time. Obviously, we’d like a little bit more.”

Thursday

Kardinals 5, Bears 1

Kod 1 0 0 —1

Ken 2 1 2 —5

First period — 1. Kodiak, Hinman (Smith), 7:20. 2. Kenai, Mese (un.), 11:11; 3. Kenai, Hallam (Martin), 14:20. Penalties — Kodiak 1 for 2:00.

Second period — 4. Kenai, Vann (C. Langham, Martin), 1:03. Penalties — Kodiak 2 for 4:00; Kenai 3 for 6:00.

Third period — 5. Kenai, Butler (un.), 9:13; 6. Kenai, Vann (un.), 10:44. Penalties — Kodiak 1 for 2:00; Kenai 1 for 2:00.

Shots on goal — Kodiak 5-1-3—9; Kenai 10-8-12—30.

Goalies — Kodiak, Wood (30 shots, 25 saves); Kenai, Swanson (9 shots, 8 saves).

Power plays — Kodiak 0 for 4; Kenai 1 for 4.

Kenai Central’s William Howard and Kodiak’s Miles Grimes battle for the puck Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Central’s Sawyer Vann clears the puck from in front of goalie Seanna Swanson on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)