Head to head for the final hockey regular season game, conference seeding for the North Star Conference on the line, and just another Kenai vs SoHi showdown; the Kardinals and Stars rose to the occasion on Saturday night.
The Kenai Kardinals lit the lamp in overtime to rally past the Soldotna Stars 6-5; Levi Mese scoring the game-winner for the Kards.
With the victory, Kenai earns the #5 seed into the North Star Conference hockey tournament and will face the Palmer Moose; SoHi seeded #6 will face Wasilla in the tournament’s first round. The NSC tournament is scheduled for Thursday – Saturday, February 1st – 3rd at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.
Kenai 6 – SoHi 5 OT
Levi Mese scored the at 3:35 remaining in overtime to push the Kardinals past the Stars. Mese recorded a three-goal hat trick with goals in the first and second periods together with the game winning goal.
The Stars lead early with a 2-1 advantage after one period. Alex Montague and Dylan Walton with SoHi goals; Knudsen scores the Kards first goal.
In the second period, Kenai tied the game with a Mese goal and took a 3-2 lead on a goal by Matt Hagel. The Stars answered with goals by Galen Brantley III and Gavin Haakenson to give the Stars the lead at 4-3. Mese re-ties the game at 4-4 scoring with only five seconds remaining in the second period.
The teams each found the net in the third period. Brantley scores to give SoHi a 5-4 advantage which lasted 22 seconds when Kenai’s Nate Beiser evened the score at 5-5.
In the overtime, Kenai’s Mese scores a short-handed goal at 3:35 on the clock for the victory.
In goal for the Kardinals Josh Tree records 32 saves on 37 shots. SoHi’s Corbin Wirz records 24 saves on 30 shots.
