The Soldotna Stars Hockey Team visited Kodiak High School over the weekend, sweeping the Bears in a two game set by a combined score of 14-1. With the wins, the Stars improve to 6-1 overall on the season and 3-1 in conference play.
If not for the ice, the Stars may have been able to set up tents and build a fire or two for all the time they spent camped in the offensive zone over the two game span. Soldotna put on an offensive display both nights, so much so in fact that Kodiak may need to replace their goalie equipment after the Stars recorded an eye-popping 107 shots on goal over the weekend, including 30 SOG in one period.
SOHI’s offense is anchored by formidable first line forwards Boone Theiler and Jace Appelhans, who combined for nearly half of the team’s total points in two games.
On to the recaps.
Kodiak 0, Soldotna 7
The Stars took on the Kodiak Bears in Kodiak on Friday, Dec. 1 and came away with a shutout 7-0 win in the first of a two game set on the rock.
Both teams got off to a slow start, only managing a combined 14 shots on goal in a scoreless first period. While the scoring wasn’t very active, the penalty boxes were, both teams accruing three penalties apiece in what would become something of a theme. In all, 28 total penalty minutes were dolled out over the course of the game.
Soldotna finally got on the scoreboard in the second period–despite picking up four more penalties–when Boone Theiler found the net at 5:46. a few minutes later Andrew Arthur doubled the Stars lead, scoring his first of two goals on the night at 8:02. Arthur followed that up with his second goal of the game at 10:34. The Stars led 3-0 with two frames in the book.
SOHI seemed to really settle in when the third rolled around, only allowing a single Kodiak shot on goal for the final 20 minutes. Daniel Heath (2:18) scored shortly after the period got under way. Then, after a little over six minutes without another goal, the Stars reeled off three quick scores, Jace Appelhans (8:24), Mason Bock (10:57), and Kazen Geisler (11:29) netted a goal each over a span a about three minutes.
Although he only faced seven total shots on goal, Stars goalie Brycen Clyde did collect a shutout on the night.
Goals: A. Arthur 2, B. Theiler, D. Heath, J. Appelhans, M. Bock, K. Geisler
Assists: B. Theiler 3, D. Heath, G. Medcoff, K. Howell, S. Dahlman
Saves:
(KOD) S. Lonheim 29/36; (SOL) B. Clyde 7/7
Kodiak 1, Soldotna 7
If the first game between Soldotna and Kodiak was chippy, the second was even more so. The teams followed up a night where they combined for 28 total minutes in the penalty box by combining for 41 penalty minutes, including one 5-minute major for the Bears, and a 10-minute misconduct for the Stars.
As with the first game, however, Soldotna pretty much spent the night aiming a shotgun into a barrel of fish, except instead of fish it was the Kodiak net, and instead of a shotgun it was a plethora of Stars sticks. Soldotna put up a staggering 71 shots on goal in three periods.
Another slow first period saw only one goal, Boone Theiler scoring unassisted 12:40. As with the first game, that isn’t to say the period was a slow one, as Bears goaltender Simon Lonheim earned a tip of the cap, stopping 21 of the 22 Soldotna shots he faced.
The second period was where things started to get out of hand for Kodiak in this one, though. While Bears forward Kody Mitchell served a 5-minute major for face masking, the Stars uncorked what amounted to five minutes of button mashing, scoring four goals before the Bears got back to full strength. Mykah Booth (4:30), Marshall DeRaeve (5:25), Jace Appelhans (6:13), and Luke Stuber (7:45) all found the net while SOHI had the one man advantage. Heading into the third period, the Stars were comfortably on top, 5-0.
The Bears managed to get on the board for the first and only time of the two-game set at 4:41 with a Dexter Smith goal. Appelhans (6:30) and Kyler Howell (14:59) rounded out the night for SOHI with a pair of scores. Final score: 7-1 Soldotna.
Goals: (KOD) R. Wyszkowski; (SOL) J. Appelhans 2, B. Theiler, M. Booth, M. DeRaeve, L. Stuber, K, Howell
Assists: (KOD) D. Smith; (SOL) J. Appelhans 3, B. Theiler 2, A. Arthur.
Saves: (KOD) S. Lonheim 64/71; (SOL) T. Clyde 24/25
The Stars head to the valley this weekend for a series of road games. They face Palmer at 7:00 PM Thursday night in the MTA Event Center, Wasilla at 5:30 PM on Friday at the Brett Memorial Rink, and Colony at 12:00 PM on Saturday at Menard Memorial .
Catch all three Soldotna games in the valley on ESPN 1140AM or 96.9FM. Tune in 15 minutes before puck drop for the Sweeney’s Pregame Show.