NSC hockey roundup: Peninsula teams shut out of state

  • By Jeremiah Bartz
  • Sunday, February 8, 2015 12:03am
  • Sports

WASILLA — With a pair of goals in the final four minutes of the second period, the Homer Mariners appeared to gain a little more steam. But the Wasilla Warriors answered, scoring four times during the final period to grab a 7-2 win over the Mariners during the North Star Conference semifinals at the Menard Arena in Wasilla on Friday night.

“We responded well. We didn’t have a very good second period,” Wasilla head coach Trent Schachle said after the win. “The kids responded well to the pressure there.”

Kilil Sanarov scored twice during the final 3 minutes, 19 seconds, of the second to cut Wasilla’s lead to 3-2.

“They’re a good team,” Schachle said of the Mariners. “They play together as a team really well.”

Blake Marks, Garrett Conroy, Austin Parks and Tyler Lutz all scored during the final 15 minutes to help Wasilla cement the win and set up an all-Valley North Star Conference final, which Colony won 5-3. Both Wasilla and Colony earned state tournament berths with wins Friday.

Wasilla slipped a pair of shots from the point by sturdy Homer net minder Markian Polushkin late in the game, but battles near the net helped Wasilla create some space in the score earlier during the period.

“It wasn’t a 7-2 game. (Homer) played hard,” Schachle said. “They had guys forcing the puck all the time. We just got the bounces. We kept on working harder, and got the bounces.”

Early in the third, Marks knocked in the rebound of a Conroy shot to give Wasilla the 4-2 lead. About four minutes later, Conroy, parked at the doorstep, tipped a puck into the net.

Wasilla’s first two goals of the third were similar to the first scores of the game.

Wasilla built an initial lead in the first. Captain Luke Schruf skated the puck up the left wing to the back boards, where he centered a pass to Marks. The pass allowed Marks to tap in the puck for a score. 

About four minutes later, Alex Clark fed a short pass up the ice to Justin Bayliffe, who snuck a shot from between the circles into the net.

Conroy added to Wasilla’s lead, scoring 31 seconds into the second period.

Schachle said his team’s play around the Homer net was a key to the victory.

“We told them, you’ve got to be tougher around the net,” Schachle said.

Saranov, who netted the game-winner in the 2-1 overtime win over Soldotna in the semifinals, helped pull Homer back into the game late in the second period. With just more than three minutes left, Sanarov was awarded a penalty shot. The Homer captain responded by using a quick move to beat Wasilla senior Kiana Verplancke, and put the Mariners on the scoreboard.

About a minute later, after another Wasilla penalty, Sanarov snapped a wrister from the left wing circle on the power play to cut Wasilla’s lead to 3-2.

Third-seeded Colony moved into the final with a 4-2 win over Palmer, the No. 2 seed in the tournament.

Wasilla 7, Homer 2

NSC semifinals

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Wasilla- Marks (Schruf, Morrison) 9:15; 2. Wasilla- Bayliffe (Clark) 5:44.

Second period — 3. Wasilla- Conroy (C. Matson, Marks) 14;29; 4. Homer- Sanarov (penalty shot) 3:19; 5. Homer- Sanarov (Delahanty, C. Tillion) pp 2:15.

Third period — 6. Wasilla- Marks (Conroy) 9:29; 7. Wasilla- Conroy (Schruf) pp 4:58; 8. Wasilla- Parks (Butcher, Bayliffe) 4:17; 9. Wasilla- Lutz (unassisted) 4:02.

Shots on goal: Homer 8-9-8—25, Wasilla 9-13-15—37; Saves: Homer- Polushkin 7-12-11-30, Wasilla- Verplancke 8-7-8—23.

More in Sports

tease
Thursday: Kenai, SoHi, Homer softball get seasons rolling at Rally in the Valley

Soldotna went 0-2-1, Homer went 0-2 and Kenai went 1-1 on Thursday… Continue reading

tease
Thursday soccer: Kenai, SoHi girls, boys reach tourney semifinals

The Kenai Central, Grace Christian, Wasilla and Soldotna girls advanced to the… Continue reading

tease
Thursday baseball: Soldotna topples West Valley

The Soldotna baseball team defeated West Valley 4-1 on Thursday at the… Continue reading

tease
Wednesday: Soldotna baseball loses to Service

The Service baseball team defeated Soldotna 15-7 in six innings at the… Continue reading

Kenai Central's Zane James and Ketchikan's Conor Pearson battle for the ball Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at Ed Hollier Field at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Wednesday: Kenai boys, Homer girls top Ketchikan as 2 big tourneys loom on weekend

The Kenai Central boys soccer team defeated Ketchikan 2-1 on Wednesday in… Continue reading

Lee Frey runs to victory in the men's half marathon at the Kenai River Marathon on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Area runners compete in Boston Marathon

Anchorage’s Taylor Deal, a 2012 graduate of Kenai Central, led all Alaska… Continue reading

Nikiski's Emily Brannon makes a save in front of Nikiski's Madison Iyatunguk and Soldotna's Lane Hillyer on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at Justin Maile Field at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna boys soccer tops Nikiski; Bulldogs girls cancel season

The host Soldotna boys soccer team defeated Nikiski 17-1 on Tuesday in… Continue reading

Darren Banks coaches the New Mexico Ice Wolves in the NA3HL. (Photo provided by New Mexico Ice Wolves)
Brown Bears hire Banks as head coach after Shaw steps down

The Kenai River Brown Bears hired Darren Banks on Sunday to be… Continue reading

Boys line up for their first running event of the day on Friday, April 18 at the Homer High School Invitational Track Meet. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Colony track and field teams sweep Homer Invitational

The Colony girls and boys track and field teams swept the Homer… Continue reading

Most Read