The Kenai Central hockey team started its season with a victory, while Soldotna started with a loss, at the Peninsula Ice Challenge on Thursday.

The Kardinals defeated Tri-Valley 5-2 at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility, while Soldotna fell 5-4 in overtime to defending Division II champion Houston at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.

The tournament continues today when Soldotna hosts Tri-Valley at the sports complex at 4:15 p.m. and Kenai hosts Houston at the multi-purpose facility at 7 p.m.

Houston 5, Soldotna 4, OT

Trenton Huber scored with 2:57 left in overtime on an assist from Brayden Spain to boost the Hawks to victory.

Soldotna struck first in the first period when Gehret Medcoff scored unassisted. Domnin Efimov tied it up with 1:47 left in the first, but Aiden Stinnett, assisted by Medcoff and Boone Theiler, had the Stars back up headed to the second.

SoHi committed four penalties to the one of Houston in the second period, and the Hawks took advantage. Daniel Matveev scored on the power play to tie the game, then Matveev put the Hawks up 3-2 when he scored with 5:53 left in the second period.

Silas Larsen, assisted by Jace Appelhans and Theiler, drew the Stars even, but Houston grabbed the lead at 4-3 headed to the third when Huber scored.

With 8:54 left in the third, Appelhans tied it on an assist from Micah Booth.

Ari Burnside made 25 saves for Houston, while Jackson Purcell stopped 35 for the Stars.

Kenai 5, Tri-Valley 2

Luke Mese had two goals and two assists, while Avery Martin added two goals, as the Kards came back from a deficit at the end of the first period.

Michael Renshaw had the lone goal of the first period to give the Viking Warriors the lead.

In the second period, Martin scored with help from Mese, and Jaden Garner scored with help from Ky Calvert, as the Kards went up 2-1.

In the third, Mese scored unassisted for a 3-1 lead. Nicolas Bohanan cut it to 3-2, but Martin scored on an assist by Mese and Mese scored unassisted to put the game away.

Evyn Witt had 20 saves for the Kards, while Wyatt Juszack stopped 33 for the Viking Warriors.

Thursday

Hawks 5, Stars 4, OT

Houston 1 3 0 1 —5

Soldotna 2 1 1 0 —4

First period — 1. Soldotna, Medcoff (un.), 10:01; 2. Houston, Efimov (Richard), 13:13; 3. Soldotna, Stinnett (Medcoff, Theiler), 13:25. Penalties — Houston 1 for 2:00; Soldotna 1 for 2:00.

Second period — 4. Houston, Matveev (D. Efimov, Reutov), pp, 5:02; 5. Houston, Matveev (Richard, Huber), 9:07; 6. Soldotna, Larsen (Appelhans, Theiler), 11:43; 7. Houston, Huber (Richard, A. Efimov), 14:41. Penalties — Houston 1 for 2:00; Soldotna 4 for 8:00.

Third period — 8. Soldotna, Appelhans (Booth), 8:54. Penalties — Houston 2 for 4:00.

Overtime — 9. Houston, Huber (Spain), 5:03. Penalties — none.

Shots on goal — Houston 12-18-6-4—40; Soldotna 10-6-12-1—29.

Goalies — Houston, Burnside (29 shots, 25 saves); Soldotna, Purcell (40 shots, 35 saves).

Kardinals 5, Viking Warriors 2

Tri-Valley 1 0 1 —2

Kenai 0 2 3 —5

First period — 1. Tri-Valley, Renshaw (Frisbie), 11:38. Penalties — Tri-Valley 1 for 2:00; Kenai 2 for 4:00.

Second period — 2. Kenai, Martin (Mese), 0:50; 3. Kenai, Garner (Calvert), 12:48. Penalties — Tri-Valley 3 for 6:00.

Third period — 4. Kenai, Mese (un.), 3:06; 5. Tri-Valley, N. Bohanan (Renshaw), 9:23; 6. Kenai, Martin (Mese), 12:30; 7. Kenai, Mese (un.), 14:22. Penalties — Tri-Valley 1 for 2:00; Kenai 1 for 2:00.

Shots on goal — Tri-Valley 7-7-8—22; Kenai 15-9-14—38.

Goalies — Tri-Valley, Juszack (38 shots, 33 saves); Kenai, Witt (22 shots, 20 saves).