Before Hunter Fejes of Anchorage heads off to Colorado College in the fall, he's trying to help the Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.) boys win the USA Hockey Tier I 18-U national championship.
Saturday, the forward did some heavy lifting toward that end.
Fejes racked a hat trick and an assist in a 6-2 semifinal victory over the Cape Cod (Mass.) Whalers after earlier in the day furnishing a goal in a 5-1 quarterfinal victory over the D.C. Capitals in Williamsville, N.Y.
After going scoreless in the Sabres' first two games of the tournament, Fejes has delivered 4-4--8 totals in the last three games. He leads the tournament in points and is tied for the lead in goals.
Defenseman Truman Reed of Anchorage contributed a goal in Shattuck's semifinal win and forward Ryan Schwalbe of Anchorage had an assist in the quarterfinal victory.
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 4-1-0 in the tournament, plays the L.A. Junior Kings (3-1-1) in the championship game Sunday.
Meanwhile, two Alaska teams Saturday qualified for championship games at the Tier II level, one cut below Tier I.
The Alaska Blue Devils Tier II 12-U boys beat the Charlotte (N.C.) Jr. Checkers, 4-2, in the semifinals after dispatching the Spokane (Wash.) Jr. Chiefs, 5-2, in the quarterfinals in Virginia.
Zachary Krajnik's fingerprints were all over both wins. He scored one goal and assisted on another in the semifinal win, had a goal and two helpers in the quarterfinal victory and is tied for the tournament lead in scoring with 6-9--15 totals in five games.
Trent Burnham made 21 saves for the Blue Devils in the semis, and Nathan Sperry, Gunnar Stadem and John Hammer contributed goals. Joshua Linn scored two goals in the quarterfinal, Burnham stopped 22 shots, and Sperry and Stadem each generated one goal and one assist.
The Blue Devils (4-1-0) play the Affton (Mo.) Americans (5-0-0) in Sunday's championship game. The Americans beat the Blue Devils, 6-3, in a pool-play game Thursday.
Also headed to a championship game Sunday are the Tier II Alaska Icebreakers 14-U girls of Fairbanks.
The Icebreakers used 17 saves from Sabrina Nichols, one goal and one assist from both Megan Kubicheck and Helenka Brice, and goals from Jessica Carlson and Kassi Graves for a 4-1 semifinal win over the Falcons (Ill.) in Frisco, Texas.
Nichols made 34 saves in a 4-2 quarterfinal win over the East Coast Wizards (Mass.). Carlson bagged 2-1--3 totals in that game, and Brice and Dynnea Bezona added goals.
The Icebreakers (4-1-0) play the Buffalo Regals in Sunday's championship game.
Three other Alaska teams, and a Shattuck-St. Mary's team that includes an Anchorage skater, were eliminated in Saturday playoffs around the country:
Tier II 19-U Girls -- A detailed score sheet was unavailable online from USA Hockey, but the Team Alaska girls were eliminated Saturday night when they lost 3-1 to the Colorado Tigers Elite Prep in the semifinals in Frisco.
Team Alaska (3-2-0) advanced to the semis on the strength of a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over the Keweenaw (Mich.) Storm that featured 29 saves from Madi Davis, who secured her third 1-0 shutout of the tournament. Kaitlin Miknich scored the only goal the Alaskans required.
Through four games, Davis owned a goals-against average of 1.00 and a save percentage of .962.
Tier II 14-U Boys -- The Alaska All-Stars (3-2-0) won a thriller in the quarterfinals in Wayne, N.J., beating the Chittenden South Burlington (Vt.) Hawks, 5-4 in overtime, before falling 6-3 to the Affton (Mo.) Americans in the semifinals.
Nolan Walker's goal off a Payton McSharry assist in overtime propelled the All-Stars into the semis. Tyler Miknich racked two goals and an assist in that game, Tyler Briley and Adam Vandenbos furnished goals, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 27 shots.
In the All-Stars' semifinal loss, which came after they led 3-1 in the second period, Luke Miller had one goal and one assist, and Vandenbos and Trey Segers scored goals. Swayman made 39 saves.
Tier II 18-U Boys -- The Southcentral Alaska Wolves (1-2-1) played yet another nail-biter in losing 3-1 to the Richmond (Va.) Royals in the quarterfinals in Lansing, Mich.
Southcentral's three pool-play games were all 2-1 affairs, which was the score of Saturday's match until Richmond potted an empty-netter with 41 seconds to go. Brian Cresap scored the Wolves' goal off an assist from Mason Meyer.
Tier I 16-U Girls -- The Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.) team (2-2-0) that includes Taylor Schwalbe of Anchorage was eliminated in the quarterfinals, losing 4-2 to Team Pittsburgh.
Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
By DOYLE WOODY
Anchorage Daily News