Service won the Peninsula Ice Challenge at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex with a 3-2 victory over Monroe Catholic on Saturday.

Both squads came into the final day of the three-day, round-robin tournament with 2-0 records. Nicholas Austin lit the lamp twice for the Cougars, while Anthony Roberts added a tally. For Monroe, Ryan Michel and Landon Bartels scored. Jordan Watson had 16 saves for Service, while Jaden Pasillas made 16 for the Rams.

In the battle for third place, Levi Mese had a hat trick as Kenai toppled Soldotna 7-2.

Soldotna opened the scoring in the first period when Galen Brantley III, assisted by Lucas Kline and JD Schmelzenbach, scored on the power play.

But the Kards stormed back with two goals from Jakeb O’Brien, assisted by Zack Burnett and Brenna Eubank, and Miles Marston and Devin Every, and a tally from Mese, assisted by O’Brien and Matt Hagel. Kenai led 3-1 after one.

The Kards led 5-1 after two. Mese scored on assists from Nate Beiser and Bailey Maxson, and Marston scored on assists from Jordan Knutson and Beiser.

Alex Montague opened up the third period by scoring short-handed and unassisted for Soldotna, but Kenai closed on goals by Beiser, assisted by Hagel and Marston, and Mese, unassisted.

Corbin Wirz had 33 saves for SoHi, while Josh Tree stopped 25 for Kenai.

Monroe Catholic 8, Kenai Central 1

Silas Hughes, Landon Bartels and Riley Ott all notched three points Friday as the Rams moved to 2-0 in the Peninsula Ice Challenge at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex and knocked the Kardinals to 0-2.

Hughes and Bartels each had two goals and an assist, while Ott had three assists. Also for Monroe, Jacob Rauenhorst had two goals, Antonio Szumigala had a goal and an assist, Caleb Sanborn had a goal, and Ryan Michel, Lane Lannet and Dominik Coiley had assists.

“We were down 8-0 for the first two periods and came out and won the third,” Kenai coach Jacob Newton said. “It would have been a different game if we had a fourth period.”

The Kardinals were down just 2-0 after the first period, but the Rams really got rolling in the second with six goals.

“Take out the breakdowns in the second period and it was a different game,” Newton said.

The Kenai coach has 30 players in the program and he gave all that were available a chance for varsity ice time on Thursday or Friday. Newton said his squad worked hard through all the changes in the lineup.

That was proven when Nate Beiser, on an assist from Matt Hagel, had his squad’s lone goal with eight seconds left.

“Whether they are down one or 20, they keep going,” Newton said. “It’s a testament to their character.”

The coach said Josh Tree did a good job in making 27 saves. Jaden Pasillas had 15 for Monroe.

Service 9, Soldotna 2

Dillon Zobel and Brandon Garroutte each had a goal and two assists for the Cougars on Friday as they went to 2-0 in the Ice Challenge while dropping the Stars to 0-2.

Anthony Roberts had a pair of goals for Service, while Nickolas Austin, Jerrett Kindred, Andre Gaskov, Kyle Reem and Connor Homan added goals. Oscar Clay, Kellen Harris and Zack Leety each had two assists, while Samual Bourdon added an assist.

Soldotna coach Indy Walton said Service has 13 seniors while Soldotna dressed two juniors, 10 sophomores and six freshmen.

“Those guys had 40 to 50 pounds on our freshmen,” Walton said. “It wasn’t like we were going to check or knock them off the puck.”

The coach was happy that when his players got space to make a play, they were able to do it. Both goals came on the power play, one by Alex Montague assisted by Galen Brantley III, and the other by Brantley III assisted by Braxton Urban and Montague.

“All the goals we did score were quality goals,” Walton said.

The coach said his player of the game was Lucas Kline, who blocked seven or eight shots. Mackenzie Powell had 29 saves for the Stars, while Kevin Taunton had 14 for Service.

The Cougars poured on four more goals late in the third period. Walton said he could have kept the outcome closer, but he said the game had been decided and he wanted to get some additional players some playing time.

Homer 11, Bartlett 2

The visiting Mariners notched a big nonconference victory over the Bears to improve to 1-1 on the season.

East 4, Homer 3

The host Thunderbirds nipped the Mariners on Saturday in nonconference play.

Friday

Rams 8, Kardinals 1

Monroe 2 6 0 — 8

Kenai 0 0 1 — 1

First period — 1. Monroe, Hughes (Ott), 6:00; 2. Monroe, Szumigala (Michel), 10:24. Penalties — Monroe 2 for 4:00; Kenai 5 for 10:00.

Second period — 3. Monroe, Rauenhorst (Lannet), 6:56; 4. Monroe, Bartels (Ott), 7:47; 5. Monroe, Bartels (Ott), 9:22; 6. Monroe, Rauenhorst (Szumigala), 12:07; 7. Monroe, Hughes (Coiley), pp, 12:29; 8. Monroe, Sanborn (Bartels, Hughes), pp, 14:45. Penalties — Monroe 1 for 2:00; Kenai 4 for 8:00.

Third period — 9. Kenai, Beiser (Hagel), 14:52. Penalties — Monroe 3 for 6:00; Kenai 4 for 8:00.

Shots on goal — Monroe 16-15-4—35; Kenai 7-4-5—16.

Goalies — Monroe, Pasillas (16 shots, 15 saves); Kenai, Tree (35 shots, 27 saves).

Cougars 9, Stars 2

Service 2 3 4 — 9

Soldotna 1 0 1 — 2

First period — 1. Service, Austin (Leety), 9:04; 2. Soldotna, Montague (Brantley III), 12:28; 3. Service, Roberts (Zobel, Garroutte), 13:09. Penalties — Service 1 for 2:00.

Second period — 4. Service, Roberts (Garroutte), pp, 1:40; 5. Service, Zobel (Leety), pp, 8:07; 6. Service, Homan (Harris), 14:34. Penalties — Service 3 for 6:00; Soldotna 5 for 10:00.

Third period — 7. Soldotna, Brantley III (Urban, Montague), pp, 2:18; 8. Service, Gaskov (Zobel), 9:52; 9. Service, Kindred (Clay), 11:36; 10. Service, Reem (Harris, Clay), 12:27; 11. Service, Garroutte (Bourdon), sh, 13:58. Penalties — Service 3 for 6:00.

Shots on goal — Service 11-16-11—38; Soldotna 6-3-7—16.

Goalies — Service, Taunton (14 saves, 16 shots); Soldotna, Powell (38 shots, 29 saves).

Saturday

Kardinals 7, Stars 2

Soldotna 1 0 1 — 2

Kenai 3 2 2 — 7

First period — 1. Soldotna, Brantley III (Kline, Schmelzenbach), pp, 6:43; 2. Kenai, O’Brien (Burnett, Eubank), 9:56; 3. Kenai, Mese (O’Brien, Hagel), pp, 12:24; 4. Kenai, O’Brien (Marston, Every), pp, 14:13. Penalties — Soldotna 3 for 6:00; Kenai 5 for 10:00.

Second period — 5. Kenai, Mese (Beiser, Maxson), 8:43; 6. Kenai, Marston (Knuston, Beiser), pp, 9:46. Penalties — Soldotna 3 for 6:00; Kenai 5 for 10:00.

Third period — 7. Soldotna, Montague (un.), sh, 0:34; 8. Kenai, Beiser (Hagel, Marston), pp, 7:50; 9. Kenai, Mese (un.), 11:52. Penalties — Soldotna 1 for 2:00; Kenai 2 for 4:00.

Shots on goal — Soldotna 8-11-8—27; Kenai 15-9-16—40.

Goalies — Soldotna, Wirz (40 shots, 33 saves); Kenai, Tree (27 shots, 25 saves).