The Kenai Central hockey team defeated Bartlett 8-2 on Thursday in the opening round of the End of the Road Shootout.

The victory was the first of the season for the Kardinals in four tries.

The Kardinals jumped in front 4-0 after the first period, fueled by two goals and an assist from Levi Mese. Jakeb O’Brien added a goal and an assist in the period, while Johnathan Hawkins, assisted by Tyler Lingafelt, also scored.

In the second period, Cody Bell cut the gap to 4-1 for Bartlett, but Jordan Knudsen and Tyler Lingafelt had the Kards up 6-1 by the end of the second period.

In the third period, Bell scored again for Bartlett but Bailey Maxson, assisted by Matthew Zorbas, and Nate Beiser, assisted by Hawkins, scored for Kenai.

Ryan Williams made 25 saves for the Kardinals, who put 43 shots on net.

The tournament continues today when Houston plays Kenai at 5 p.m. and Bartlett tackles Homer at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Houston faces off against Bartlett at 10 a.m. and Kenai and Homer tangle at 12:30 p.m.

Soldotna 6, Lathrop 3

Jace Urban and Galen Brantley III both finished with three points to lead the Stars to a victory over Lathrop on Thursday night in Fairbanks.

Urban scored twice in the first period and Brantley scored twice and contributed an assist en route to the win. SoHi improved to 4-0 overall this season.

SoHi scored five times in the first period to open up a big lead, then added another in the second period. Ethan Brown and Parker Lockwood both added goals of their own. Levi Hensley notched two assists while Corey Hanson and Matthew Daugherty had one.

In a contest that saw 14 penalties charged to each team, SoHi coach Derek Urban was content with the outcome.

“I was happy with how the guys kept their composure,” Urban said. “It got a little chippy at times but they held their own.”

Lathrop scored its first goal with 12:43 left in the third period, then tacked on two more with 9:40 and 2:01 to play, but fell short of the comeback.

After Billy Yoder started in net for SoHi, Corbin Wirz was put in between the pipes with just over five minutes left in the second period with the score 5-0.

Houston 5, Homer 4

The Mariners scored four game-tying goals Thursday night at home, but couldn’t answer the bell a fifth time as the Houston Hawks won.

Reed Humphreys tallied the game-winner for Houston with 2:24 left, giving him three points on the night (along with two assists). Kai Kingery added two goals for the Hawks.

Garrett Butcher had two goals and an assist for Homer, and Ethan Pitzman had two points on a goal and assist. Pitzman knotted the game up for the final time with 8:43 to play in the third period.

Dimitry Kuzmin also scored for the Mariners.

Stars 6, Malamutes 3

Soldotna 5 1 0 —6

Lathrop 0 0 3 —3

1st period — 1. Soldotna, Urban (Brantley), 7:38; 2. Soldotna, Brown (Daugherty), 11:18; 3. Soldotna, Lockwood (Hanson), 14:29; 4. Soldotna, Urban (Hensley), 14:51; 5. Soldotna, Brantley (Urban, Hensley), 14:59.

2nd period — 6. Soldotna, Brantley (unassisted), 10:22.

3rd period — 7. Lathrop, Spears (unassisted), 2:17; 8. Lathrop, Curtis (Stephens), 5:20; 9. Lathrop, Spears (Trujillo), 12:59.

Shots — Soldotna 16-7-5—28; Lathrop 3-5-5—13.

Goalies — Soldotna, Yoder (8 shots, 8 saves), Wirz (5 shots, 2 saves).

Hawks 5, Mariners 4

Houston 2 1 2 —5

Homer 2 1 1 —4

1st period — 1. Houston, Kingery (unassisted), 2:25; 2. Homer, Kuzmin (Larson), 5:53; 3. Houston, J. Natekin (Humphreys), 6:03; 4. Homer, Butcher (Weston), 9:38. Penalties — Houston 1 for 5:00; Homer 1 for 2:00.

2nd period — 5. Houston, A. Natekin (Humphreys), 1:36; 6. Homer, Butcher (Pitzman), 11:45. Penalties — Houston 1 for 2:00; Homer 1 for 2:00.

3rd period — 7. Houston, Kingery (unassisted), 5:55; 8. Homer, Pitzman (Butcher, Blakely), 6:17; 9. Houston, Humphreys (unassisted), 12:36. Penalties — Houston 1 for 2:00; Homer 1 for 2:00.

Shots — Houston 13-9-12—34; Homer 11-8-13—34.

Goalies — Homer, Warren (34 shots, 29 saves); Houston, Nix (11 shots, 9 saves), Smoldon (21 shots, 19 saves).