Service High School dominated the End of the Road Tournament last weekend in Homer, claiming victory with a 3-0 sweep.
The Homer hockey team hosted Service along with Kenai and Wasilla from Thursday through Saturday at the Kevin Bell Arena. Homer and Wasilla tied for second with records of 1-1-1. Kenai came in last at 0-3.
Mariner action kicked off Thursday in a 7-3 loss against Service. Homer skaters Fiona Hatton, Kazden Stineff and Ethan Pitzman all scored in the second period to bring the score to 3-all by the start of the third. Hatton, a freshman, scored her first goal and was awarded the game puck by head coach Steve Nevak.
Service skaters then managed to get another four shots past goaltender Hunter Warren in the third period to take the game. He faced 51 shots from Service, however, while the Service goalie faced only 22.
“The first two periods were definitely way more solid than the third,” Warren said. “I think the third we just kind of came out — I think we said we were gonna do good but we just didn’t end up pulling our weight in the end. But if we do play them again I know it’ll be closer.”
Warren said he’s confident the team will “be a force to be reckoned with” once everyone gets on the same page this year.
Asked how he prepared for going up against a high-scoring team like Service, Warren replied, “try not to suck.”
Nevak said he thought the team did well against Service considering the school’s size and the talent pool it has to draw from in Anchorage. Additionally, three Mariner veteran skaters were still out with injuries: captain Ali McCarron, Tucker Weston and Austin Shafford.
“I’ve known these kids for a long time,” Nevak said. “I think there was a little style change, compared to what when on last year. We had a great year last year, but we have a lot of young kids that we’re relying on this year.”
Homer’s Alden Ross got into a scuffle on the ice with one of the Service players. Referees gave both players penalties for roughing. Ross was suspended from Friday’s game against Kenai, and returned to the ice Saturday to face Wasilla.
While the Mariners came out victorious on Friday against Kenai 7-5, Nevak said the game should not have been that close.
“I think honestly we came in overconfident,” he said. “The kids really thought that they would kind of have this one in the bag, and they got the message after the first period. I think reality set in.”
Friday’s was a successful game for Pitzman, who scored six of the team’s goals and had an assist on the seventh, which was scored by Brenna McCarron.
“I’m just so excited,” Pitzman said after the game. “The game started out, like right away I got a break away — completely missed, I was getting all down. And then one went in — right at the end of the first, like a crucial moment right before the period (ended) — and then it was just every shot from there. … My team was setting me up so well, and it was just amazing.”
Homer then went on to tie 3-3 with Wasilla on Saturday when, after five additional minutes of overtime, neither team scored another point. Homer’s three goals were achieved by Ross, Lee Lowe and Isaiah Nevak.
Looking ahead this season, Nevak said some skaters to watch are junior Isaiah Nevak, his son, along with juniors Pitzman, and Tyler Gilliland.
“I really think those three are going to have pretty big years,” he said.
Though the weekend was less fruitful for Kenai, head coach Jacob Newton said his players have definitely improved from earlier this season.
“I’m really impressed with how my kids started playing better and working harder as a team,” he said. “We started finally getting the puck to the net more. We had some games where we only were putting 10 shots on net the whole game. This tournament we were putting, you know, 25 to 30 shots on net.”
He said the team came across some good goal tenders at the End of the Road Shootout.
“I think we just need to continue to work on getting the puck deep and working hard,” he said. “And going back to fundamental hockey.”
Of note this weekend was the fact that some of Kenai’s younger players stepped up and filled roles they hadn’t previously.
I had some younger guys who stepped up and filled some roles.
“We lost a couple guys to injuries, so these younger guys stepping up, filling that role and playing hard for us is really good to see,” he said.
Thursday
Kenai v Wasilla: Wasilla 8, Kenai 0
Wasilla 1, 3, 4 —8
Kenai 0, 0, 0 —0
First period — 1. Wasilla, Schachle (Randall), 9:22. Penalties — Wasilla 1 for 5:00.
Second period — 2. Wasilla, Holler (unassisted), 5:57; 3. Wasilla, #55 (Schachle), 11:21; 4. Wasilla, Holler (unassisted), 12:05. Penalties — Kenai 1 for 2:00.
Third period — 5. Wasilla, Matson (Holler, Mulneaux), 1:33; 6. Wasilla, Matson (Randall), 11:08; 7. Wasilla, Mulneaux (Holler, Koivenen), 7:14; 8. Wasilla, Mulneaux (Matson), 12:45. Penalties — Wasilla 3 for 6:00; Kenai 2 for 4:00.
Goalies — Wasilla, Frazier (17 shots, 17 saves); Kenai, Koppes (27 shots, 20 saves).
Shots — Wasilla 7-15-5—27; Kenai 11-6-0—17.
Service v Homer: Service 7, Homer 3
Homer 0, 3, 0 — 3
Service 2, 1, 4 — 7
First period — 1. Service, Harris (Edmonson), 3:44; 2. Service, Harris (Edmonson, Leety), 9:13. Penalties — Service 2 for 4:00.
Second period — 3. Homer, Hatton (unassisted), 3:05; 4. Service, Bourdon (unassisted), 7:19; 5. Homer, Stineff (Lowe), 8:22; 6. Homer, Pitzman (Ross), 11:28. Penalties — Homer 1 for 2:00; Service 1 for 2:00.
Third period — 7. Service, Hayes (Leety), :41; 8. Service, Garroutte (Clay, Harris), PP, 4:13; 9. Service, Garrity (Glick), 6:43; 10. Service, Edmonson (Martensen), 11:49. Penalties — Homer 4 for 19:00; Service 4 for 19:00.
Goalies — Homer, Warren (51 shots, 44 saves); Service, Taunton (22 shots, 19 saves).
Shots — Homer 10-9-3—22; Service 11-27-13—51.
Friday
Kenai v Homer: Homer 7, Kenai 5
Homer 1, 3, 3 — 7
Kenai 1, 2, 2 — 5
First period — 1. Kenai, Harvey (Gabriel), 5:58; 2. Homer, Pitzman (Gilliland), 14:58. Penalties — Homer 1 for 2:00; Kenai 1 for 2:00.
Second period — 3. Kenai, Marsten (Stock), 4:27; 4. Homer, Pitzman (Gilliland, Arno), 5:15; 5. Homer, McCarron (Pitzman), 6:33; 6. Homer, Pitzman (unassisted), 7:21; 7. Kenai, Beiser (unassisted), 10:57. Penalties — Homer 1 for 2:00; Kenai 1 for 2:00.
Third period — 8. Kenai, Burnett (Begich), 3:43; 9. Homer, Pitzman (Hatton), 4:59; 10. Kenai, Begich (unassisted), 9:02; 11. Homer, Pitzman (Nevak, McBride), 10:03; 12. Homer, Pitzman (Hatton), 13:26. Penalties — Homer 2 for 7:00.
Goalies — Homer, Roderick (35 shots, 30 saves); Kenai, Cross (29 shots, 22 saves).
Shots — Homer 6-10-13—29; Kenai 15-10-10—35.
Saturday
Kenai v Service: Service 11, Kenai 0
Service 3, 2, 6 —11
Kenai 0, 0, 0 —0
First period — 1. Service, Leety (Garroutte), 2:28; 2. Service, Hayes (Ferreria), 10:56; 3. Service, Hayes (Ferreria), 14:07. Penalties — Service 1 for 2:00; Kenai 1 for 5:00.
Second period — 4. Service, Martensen (unassisted), 9:19; 5. Service, Martensen (Edmonson, Garrity), 14:49. Penalties — Service 3 for 6:00; Kenai 2 for 4:00.
Third period — 6. Service, Byers (unassisted), 1:27; 7. Service, Bourdon (Ferreria), 4:15; 8. Service, Leety (Edmonson), 10:13; 9. Service, Hayes (Bourdon), 13:51; 10. Service, Hayes (Garroutte), 14:02; 11. Service, #20 (Hayes), 14:38. Penalties — none.
Goalies — Service, Watson (24 shots, 24 saves); Kenai, Koppes (44 shots, 33 saves).
Shots — Service 16-15-13—44; Kenai 9-4-11—24.
Wasilla v Homer: Homer 3, Wasilla 3
Homer 1, 0, 2, 0 —3
Wasilla 1, 0, 2, 0 —3
First period — 1. Wasilla, Zachary (Harbour), 4:47; 2. Homer, Lowe (unassisted), 11:02. Penalties — Wasilla 3 for 6:00; Homer n/a.
Second period — no scoring. Penalties — Wasilla 3 for 6:00; Homer n/a.
Third period — 3. Homer, Nevak (unassisted), 5:23; 4. Wasilla, Wiltfong (Holler, Goff), 7:00; 5. Homer, Ross (Pitzman), 10:35; 6. Wasilla, Bouma (Holler, Schachle), 13:23. Penalties — Wasilla 3 for 6:00; Homer n/a.
Overtime — no scoring. Penalties — Wasilla 1 for 2:00; Homer 1 for 2:00.
Goalies — Homer, Warren (50 shots, 47 saves); Wasilla, (16 shots, 13 saves).
Shots — Homer 4-4-7-1—16; Wasilla 15-14-20-1—50.
Service High School player Dylan Ferreria passes the puck down the ice during his team’s game against Homer High School during the first night of the End of the Road Shootout on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Homer’s Fiona Hatton looks up the ice during a game against Service High School during the first night of the End of the Road Shootout on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. A freshman, Hatton scored her first goal Thursday and was awarded the game puck. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Service High School player Brent Edmonson keeps Homer’s Alden Ross at bay during a game between the two schools Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 during the End of the Road Shootout at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Homer’s Isaiah Nevak scoops the puck out of the corner during a game against Service High School on Thursday. Nov. 15, 2018 during the End of the Road Shootout at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Homer defender Haylee Owen passes the puck to a teammate Friday, Nov. 16, 2018 during a agame against Kenai Central High School during the End of the Road Shootout at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Kenai’s Miles Marsten steps over Homer’s Lee Lowe after Lowe fell while both were chasing the puck during a game between the two schools Friday, Nov. 16, 2018 at the End of the Road Shootout at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Kenai’s ????? grabs the puck out of the corner with Homer’s Isaiah Nevak on his heels during a game Friday, Nov. 16, 2018 during the End of the Road Shootout at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Kenai’s Jacob Begich takes the puck up the ice Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 during a game against Service High School during the End of the Road Shootout at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Service High School player Brent Edmonson looks for a place to pass the puck with Kenai’s Jordyn Stock close on his tail during a game Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 during the End of the Road Shootout at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Homer’s Ethan Pitzman lands on the ice in a fight for the puck during a game against Wasilla High School on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 during the End of the Road Shootout at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Homer’s Lee Lowe skates up the ice during the last game of the End of the Road Shootout between Homer and Wasilla on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Homer’s Hunter Green looks for a place to put the puck while under pressure from Wasilla’s Hunter Parsons during the last game of the End of the Road Shootout on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 at Kevin Bell Arena in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
