Homer tops Eagle River

The Homer hockey team opened up the Peninsula Ice Challenge by defeating Eagle River 5-2 Thursday at the Soldotna Sports Center.

The North Pole-Kenai game scheduled for Thursday did not happen because North Pole did not show up. The Clarion did not have a score sheet for the Soldotna-Dimond game — the third game of the tournament.

Eagle River got off to a fast start against the Mariners, putting 15 shots on net in the first period. Homer got first-period goals from Eric Rasmussen and Pat Pozzi, and goalie Ben Miller made 14 saves, as the Mariners exited the first period with a 2-1 lead.

In the second, Adam Trieweiler scored for Homer and the Mariners went into the third period with a 3-2 lead. Pozzi and Trieweiler both had their second goals of the game to salt away Eagle River in the third period.

MARINERS 5, WOLVES 2

Eagle River 1 1 0 —2

Homer 2 1 2 —5

First period — 1. Eagle River, Pearce (Lopes), 0:01; 2. Homer, Rasmussen (Pozzi), 10:01; 3. Homer, Pozzi (Rasmussen, Pitta), 13:24. Penalties — Eagle River 1 for 2:00.

Second period — 4. Homer, Trieweiler (Adams), 10:20; 5. Eagle River, Younger (Armold), 14:57. Penalties — Eagle River 2 for 4:00; Homer 4 for 8:00.

Third period — 6. Homer, Pozzi (Rasmussen, Satre), 6:39; 7. Trieweiler (Adams, Sheldon), 14:24. Penalties — Eagle River 2 for 4:00; Homer 1 for 2:00.

Shots on goal — Eagle River 15-3-8—26; Homer 23.

Goalies — Eagle River, Blair (23 shots, 18 saves); Homer, Miller (26 shots, 24 saves).