The host Palmer hockey team defeated Soldotna 3-2 in overtime Thursday in Railbelt Conference action.
The victory gives the Moose the inside track to the Railbelt Conference regular season title.
Each team plays eight conference games. The Moose are now 5-0, while the Stars (8-6-2 overall) are 5-2, Juneau-Douglas is 4-4, Kenai is 2-4 and Kodiak is 0-6.
There is no conference tournament. The top three teams in the standings automatically qualify for the Division II state tournament, but there also are two additional at-large berths available to the tournament.
After tying the game with just a minute left, the Moose won it with 6:52 left in the eight-minute overtime. Kinan Greco got the game-winner for Palmer with help from Bryce Armstrong and Elijah Von Gunten.
After a scoreless first period, the Stars took the led with 7:51 left in the second period when Ezekiel Miller scored on an assist from Boone Theiler.
Palmer answered with 1:08 left in the second when Matias Broughton scored on assists from Armstrong and Von Gunten.
SoHi grabbed a 2-1 lead with 3:35 left in the game when Jace Applehans scored on an assist from Theiler. But Broughton scored with a minute left with help from Greco.
Tanner Clyde made 30 saves for the Stars, while Brody Joseph stopped 22 for the Moose.
Wasilla 6, Kenai 3
The visiting Kardinals fell to 6-13 with a nonconference loss to the Warriors on Thursday.
Wasilla took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Owen Hoyt and Branson Starheim.
With 9:39 left in the second, Kenai cut it to 2-1 when Reagan Graves scored unassisted.
Wasilla would score three times before the end of the period to open up the game. Dalton Hickey, Mason Holler and Easton McRee had the tallies.
Kenai cut it to 5-3 in the third when Gavin Liles scored with help from Josiah Petty and Ky Calvert, and Logan Mese scored on a Landon Cialek assist.
McRee finished the scoring for the Warriors.
Evyn Witt stopped 19 for the Kards, while Kole Kite had 20 saves for the Warriors.
Thursday
Moose 3, Stars 2, OT
Soldotna 0 1 1 0 —2
Palmer 0 1 1 1 —3
First period — none. Penalties — Soldotna 1 for 2:00; Palmer 1 for 2:00.
Second period — 1. Soldotna, Miller (Theiler), 7:09; 2. Palmer, Broughton (Armstrong, Von Gunten), 13:52. Penalties — Soldotna 1 for 2:00; Palmer 2 for 4:00.
Third period — 3. Soldotna, Applehans (Theiler), 11:25; 4. Palmer, Broughton (Greco), 14:00. Penalties — Palmer 1 for 2:00.
Overtime — 5. Palmer, Greco (Armstrong, Von Gunten), 1:08. Penalties — none.
Shots on goal — Soldotna 5-8-11-0—24; Palmer 11-13-7-2—33.
Goalies — Soldotna, Clyde (33 shots, 30 saves); Palmer, Joseph (24 shots, 22 saves).
Warriors 6, Kardinals 3
Kenai 0 1 2 —3
Wasilla 2 3 1 —6
First period — 1. Wasilla, Hoyt (McRee, Wold), pp, 4:56; 2. Wasilla, Starheim (McGrew, Duble), 13:02. Penalties — Kenai 1 for 2:00.
Second period — 3. Kenai, Graves (un.), 5:21; 4. Wasilla, Hickey (Holler, McGrew), pp, 10:24; 5. Wasilla, Holler (Hoyt), 10:42; 6. Wasilla, McRee (Starheim, Pfile), 13:48. Penalties — Kenai 2 for 4:00.
Third period — 7. Kenai, Liles (Petty, Calvert), 1:37; 8. Kenai, Mese (Cialek), 10:03; 9. Wasilla, McGree (Duble, Holler), pp, 13:52. Penalties — Kenai 1 for 2:00; Wasilla 1 for 2:00.
Shots on goal — Kenai 6-5-12—23; Wasilla 10-10-5—25.
Goalies — Kenai, Witt (25 shots, 19 saves); Wasilla, Kite (23 shots, 20 saves).
