Nikiski skaters grab fourth place at state

Nikiski defeated Glennallen 2-1 Saturday to claim fourth place at the Greatland Hockey Conference Championships.

All the scoring in the game occurred in the final 1:17 of the second period as the Bulldogs sandwiched a pair of goals around the Panthers' lone goal.

Lex Litzen scored an unassisted goal at 13:43 of the period for the Bulldogs. Quincy Bird scored with 15 seconds left in the period, assisted by Todd Brigham and Daniel Gerhauser.

Ben Kramer scored for Glennallen.

Nigel Penhale made 17 saves for the Bulldogs while Nikiski managed to put 27 shots on the Glennallen net.

In other Greatland games, Houston held off a late Delta Junction rally to win the championship game 5-4. Blake Fisher and Jake Williams each scored twice for the Hawks.

Kenny Lake defeated Tri-Valley 9-1 to claim third place. Kenneth Larsen scored four goals for Kenny Lake while Hawks goalie Adam Lain turned aside 24 Tri-Valley shots.

BULLDOGS 2, GLENNALLEN 1

Nikiski 0 2 0 -- 2

Glennallen 0 1 0 -- 1

First period -- no scoring. Penalties -- Nikiski 2 for 4:00.

Second period -- 1. Nikiski, Litzen (unassisted), 13:43; 2. Glennallen, Kramer (Tollman), 14:31; 3. Nikiski, Bird (Brigham, Gerhauser), 14:45. Penalties -- Nikiski 3 for 6:00, Glennallen 2 for 4:00.

Third period -- non scoring. Penalties -- none.

Shots on goal -- Nikiski 9-8-12--29, Glennallen 6-6-6--18.

Goalies -- Nikiski, Penhale (18 shots, 17 saves); Glennallen, rice (29 shots, 27 saves).

Nikiski 5, Monroe 2

The Nikiski High School hockey team notched a win in the consolation semifinals Friday, defeating Monroe Catholic 5-2 to stay alive for Saturday's fourth-place game.

In Friday's tournament semifinals, Delta Junction defeated Kenny Lake 4-3 on an overtime goal by Ivan Hebert while Houston thumped Tri-Valley 13-5 behind six goals from David Newman.

Monroe took a 2-1 edge over the Bulldogs with a goal 29 seconds into the second period, but Seth Tauriainen drew the Bulldogs even with his tally at 12:28 of the period. Todd Brigham and Quincy Bird assisted on the play.

Brad Harrison gave the Bulldogs the lead 12 seconds into the third period with an unassisted power-play goal. Tauriainen scored his second goal of the game, unassisted, at the 12:39 mark of the third period, and Brigham added an insurance goal with 19 seconds left in the game.

Harrison scored for the Bulldogs early in the first period, assisted by Bird.

Nigel Penhale stopped nine shots in the Bulldogs goal.

BULLDOGS 5, RAMS 2

Monroe 1 1 0 -- 2

Nikiski 1 1 3 -- 5

First period -- 1. Nikiski, Harrison (Bird), 3:18; 2. Monroe, Devito (unassisted), 13:59. Penalties -- Monroe 1 for 2:00, Nikiski 1 for 2:00.

Second period -- 3. Monroe, Andre (Devito), 0:29; 4. Nikiski, Tauriainen (Brigham, Bird), 12:28. Penalties -- Monroe 5 for 10:00, Nikiski 3 for 6:00.

Third period -- 5. Nikiski, Harrison (unassisted), 0:12 (pp); 6. Nikiski, Tauriainen (unassisted), 12:39; 7. Nikiski, Brigham (unassisted), 14:41. Penalties -- none.

Shots on goal -- Monroe 1-7-3--11, Nikiski 10-9-15--34.

Goalies -- Monroe, Carlson (34 shots, 29 saves); Nikiski, Penhale (11 shots, 9 saves).