The Dimond Lynx begin defense of their state hockey championship Thursday when they face off with West Valley in the first game of the tournament.
Dimond faces the Wolfpack at noon at Wasilla's Menard Center. Eight teams qualified for the tournament, which wraps up with Saturday's 7:30 p.m. championship game.
The four-team Greatland tournament for small schools runs Friday and Saturday at the Menard Center.
The Lynx are the No. 3 seed from the Cook Inlet Conference and are on the same side of the bracket as the Service Cougars, the No. 2 seed from the CIC after their semifinal upset of the Lynx in last week's CIC tournament. Dimond beat Service in last year's state championship game.
On the other side of the bracket is South, the CIC's top seed. The Wolverines, who play Lathrop at 5 p.m. Thursday, are looking for their first state title since beating Service in the 2011 title game.
South landed five players on the all-conference team and Steve Belde was named coach of the year. Dimond and East each had four all-conference picks, West and Bartlett each had two and Service, Eagle River, Chugiak and Eagle River each had one.
Rob Larkey of Dimond-West was named the top coach in CIC girls hockey.
Class 4A state hockey tournament
Wasilla's Menard Center
Thursday's first round
Noon -- Dimond vs. West Valley
2:30 -- Service vs. Soldotna
5 p.m. -- South vs. Lathrop
7:30 p.m. -- Wasilla vs. West
Greatland hockey tournament
Wasilla's Menard Center
Friday's first round
12:30 p.m. -- Hutchison vs. Monroe
3 p.m. -- Houston vs. Delta Junction
Cook Inlet Conference
All-conference hockey
Boys
Forwards
Joel Johnson, jr., Bartlett
Kris Tomazevic, jr., Chugiak
Kenny Hausinger, sr., Dimond
Joel Tomuro, sr., Dimond
Lane Bauer, jr., Dimond
Brett Wood, sr., Eagle River
Sam Stinson, soph., East
Steven Butts, sr., East
Andrew Cummings, sr., Service
Steven Orizotti, jr., South
Cameron Klatt, jr., South
Max Osgood, sr., West
Defensemen
Justin Beverlin, jr., East
Mason Rafter, jr., Bartlett
Trevor Geerin, jr., South
Aaron McPheters, soph., South
Steve Gustafson, jr., West
Tyler Andrews, sr., Dimond
Goaltenders
Owen Carlsos, sr., East
Nathan Wright, sr., South
Coach of the Year: Steve Belde, South
Academic Award: Service, 3.23 team GPA
Girls
Forwards
Amy Brassard, sr., Service
Kaitlin Miknich, jr., Service
Morgan Newhouse, soph., South
Brandi Muller, sr., West
Allye Brodie, sr., West
Leandra Murray, sr., Dimond
Defensemen
McKenzie Haskins, sr., West
Ivy Weeks, jr., South
Georgianna Hoss, sr., South
Felila Manu, soph., East
Goaltenders
Sarah Widmayer, jr., Service
Lillian Lewis, fr., Dimond
Coach of the Year: Rob Larkey, Dimond-West
Academic Award: Dimond-West, 3.4 team GPA
Anchorage