The Homer Glacier Kings swept the Ice Hawks in game competition on Saturday. The 10 & Under girls hockey team won their first game 7-4 at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. Homer carried the momentum over to Kenai at the outdoor Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility with another win, 12-0.

Assistant head coach William Singeltary credited the team’s progression over the season for their performance as a unit. He was proud to see the players developing more skills over the past few weeks, adjusting and learning from the coaching at practice to translate it to the game.

“The games this weekend went well and the players did a great job. Any opportunity to take skills learned in practice and apply them in a game is key,” said Singeltary in a text message on Monday.

He also remarked on a fun moment that each team got to have at the end of the first game. Even with the final score of 7-4, both Homer and Kenai agreed to a shootout at the end of the contest. Typically reserved for overtime or sudden death decisions in games, the shootout had no real impact on the outcome — it was purely for novelty — but the kids loved it.

Singletary recalled how much fun the team was having during the post-game exhibition after seeing some of their teammates participate in the post-game shootout. The kids were invested and constantly rooting for each other through the ups and downs of the competition, according to Singletary.

“The importance of the 10U program is that it is necessary to build up the next generation of players that enjoy the sport of hockey. At this level, we are focused on creating a fun learning environment that ultimately fosters a love for the game,” Singletary said.

“Homer has a fantastic hockey community and I’m fortunate to be a part of it.”

The Glacier Kings next take the ice with the 12 & Under team on 9:45 a.m. Friday at Kevin Bell Arena. The Glacier King’s 10 & Under team competes again the next day, 10-11 a.m., on Saturday.