The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District announced its support of Kenai Peninsula high school hockey teams traveling and participating in the upcoming 2021 ASAA Division II State Hockey Championships, currently scheduled for February 18-20 at the Curtis Menard Arena in Wasilla.
The Division II hockey state championships will be an eight-team tournament, with seeding determined by qualifying teams and accepted berths by conferences.
Hockey conferences had until January 28th to declare intent to participate. The two conferences in Division II hockey, Railbelt and Aurora, both consist of teams from multiple school districts with each district operating under different mitigation and protocols due to COVID-19. As such, each district was charged with declaring intent to participate at the Division II state hockey tournament.
Kari Dendurent, executive secretary for the Kenai Peninsula School Activities Association, following meeting with SoHi, Kenai and Homer athletic directors supported the KPBSD hockey teams traveling to state with specific mitigation plans for room and board.
The recommendation then was approved by Kevin Lyon, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Director of Planning and Operations with Lyon stating, “We will support KPBSD teams going to State. If something were to drastically change we would have to re-evaluate, but considering current trends the superintendent will support teams going to state hockey.”
The Division II Hockey State Championships, under regular guidelines, consists of two conferences with eight state berths available.
Nine teams, three from the Aurora and six from the Railbelt have committed to the 2021 Division II tournament.
For 2021, the Aurora Conference will send three teams and the Railbelt will send 5 teams to the Division II state tournament at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.
Aurora (3) Railbelt (5) At Large (0)
Delta Junction Homer
Glennallen/Kenny Lake Houston
Hutchison Juneau-Douglas
Monroe Catholic Kenai
North Pole Kodiak
Tri-Valley Palmer
Soldotna
Link to ASAA State At-Large & Seeding: Click Here
Link to ASAA DII State Hockey Policies & Procedures: Click Here
Hockey Notes:
…ASAA approved the Anchorage School District reschedule for high school hockey at the Division I level to a March 15th season start with a Cook Inlet Conference tournament in May.
…The four, non-Anchorage Division I hockey teams-Colony, Wasilla, West Valley and Lathrop-are planning a Division I Railbelt Tournament to be held one week after the Division II tournament at the Menard Arena.
