The visiting Kenai Central hockey team defeated Homer 5-4 in overtime Friday in Railbelt Conference play.
The Kardinals move to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the league, while Homer drops to 2-1 and 2-1.
Fresh off a dramatic 5-4 overtime victory over Soldotna on Oct. 30, Kenai came up with another dramatic finish Friday.
The game was tied at 3 when Homer’s Casey Otis scored with just 50 seconds left to play.
With just 7 seconds showing on the clock, Kenai’s Daniel Shelden scored to send the game to overtime.
With 5:14 left in the extra period, Jacob Begich completed his hat trick to win the game for the Kardinals.
Begich had started the scoring with the lone goal of the first period — a short-handed tally.
In the second period, Homer jumped on top on power-play goals by Matfey Reutov and Dylan Arno, but Shelden scored with 2:02 left in the second to tie the game at 2 headed to the third.
With 10:07 left, Kenai took the lead on a goal by Shelden, but Kazden Stineff tied the game with a power-play strike with 2:13 left to set up the dramatic final minute.
Carson Koppes stopped 31 pucks for the Kardinals, while Keegan Strong saved 36 for the Mariners.
Friday
Kardinals 5, Mariners 4
Kenai 1 1 2 1 —5
Homer 0 2 2 0 —4
First period — 1. Kenai, Begich (un.), sh, 10:23. Penalties — Kenai 3 for 6:00.
Second period — 2. Homer, Reutov (un.), pp, 8:38; 3. Homer, Arno (Stineff), pp, 9:06; 4. Kenai, Shelden (Martin), 12:58. Penalties — Kenai 4 for 8:00; Homer 2 for 4:00.
Third period — 5. Kenai, Begich (Warren), 4:53; 6. Homer, Stineff (Williamson, Arno), pp, 12:47; 7. Homer, Otis (Hatton, Green), 14:10; 8. Kenai, Shelden (Cialek), 14:53. Penalties — Kenai 1 for 2:00; Homer 1 for 2:00.
Overtime — 9. Kenai, Begich (Cialek, Petty), 2:46. Penalties — none.
Shots on goal — Kenai 10-12-17-2—41; Homer 16-11-5-3—35.
Goalies — Kenai, Koppes (35 shots, 31 saves); Homer, Strong (41 shots, 36 saves).
