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SoHi, Kenai hockey take losses on road

The host Palmer hockey team defeated Soldotna on Thursday in Northern Lights Conference action.

The Stars are now 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the league.

The power play keyed Palmer’s victory, as the Moose scored four of their six goals with the extra man.

The lone goal of the first period was a power-play strike, with Zidane Dietz scoring with help from Kinan Greco and Bradford Heard.

Soldotna struck back with 12:55 left in the second period on an unassisted goal from Boone Theiler.

Palmer then scored the final two goals of the second period. Greco scored on the power play with help from Heard and Greco scored again on a Chase Ringler helper.

With 8:49 left in the game, the Moose stretched the lead to 4-1 on a Greco power-play strike on Kaleb Von Gunten and Frank Cooper assists.

With 7:43 left, SoHi’s Andrew Arthur cut the gap to 4-2 with help from Jace Applehans.

Palmer closed with the game’s final two goals — Elijah Von Gunten assisted by Ringler and Nate Wright on the power play on assists from Cooper and Dietz.

Tanner Clyde had 34 saves for the Stars, while Keagon O’Bryan stopped 18 for the Moose.

Wasilla 6, Kenai 1

The visiting Kardinals lost a nonconference contest to fall to 5-6 overall.

Nearly all of the action in the game happened in the second period, when five of the six goals were scored.

After a scoreless first period, Wasilla’s Grant Barksdale, assisted by Mason Holler, scored just 14 seconds into the second period.

Wasilla went up 3-0 on a power play goal by Barksdale, assisted by Sterling Myers and Branson Starheim, and a goal by Jayden Mack, assisted by Easton McRee.

Mason Vermette, unassisted, cut the gap to 3-1 with 7:07 left in the second.

The Warriors then extended the lead to 5-1 with two power-play goals in the final minute of the second period. Barksdale completed his hat trick with help from Karson McGrew and Starheim, and Holler scored on McGrew and Barksdale helpers.

Just 39 seconds into the third period, Holler put Wasilla up 6-1 with help from Barksdale and Starheim.

For Kenai, Evyn Witt made 16 saves on 14 shots and Seanna Swanson stopped nine pucks on 13 shots.

Jordan Pfile had 14 saves for the Warriors.

Homer-Colony game canceled

The Homer-Colony game did not happen Thursday due to a scheduling problem.

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