Alaska News

Millen's late goal lifts U-19 Alaska All Stars girls to tourney win

Mackenzie Millen scored with just 1 minute, 55 seconds left in regulation Wednesday night to lift the Alaska All Stars U-19 girls team to a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars Elite in an opening game at USA Hockey's National Championships in San Jose, Calif.

Alaska led 1-0 courtesy of Katie Nokelby's power-play strike late in the first period and that advantage held deep into the third period before Dallas' Katie McGovern struck on the power play with less than five minutes left in regulation.

The All Stars outshot the Stars 19-4 in the first two periods, but the Stars turned the tables to outshoot the All Stars 15-8 in the third period.

Alaska goaltender Monica Elvin stopped 18 shots.

In the other game involving an Alaska team in Tier I, the highest level of American youth hockey, the Alaska Junior Aces U-18 boys team dropped its opener, 4-1 to the Mid-Fairfield Blues (Conn.) in Pittsburgh.

Andrew Cummings scored Alaska's only goal. Owen Carlson stopped 14 shots and assisted on Cummings' goal.

In all, the seven Alaska teams at nationals in Tier I and Tier II went a combined 4-3 on the opening day of tournaments that last through Sunday.

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Tier II boys

U-18 -- The Alaska Wolves killed a major penalty in the second period, including a two-man disadvantage for two minutes, but lost 3-2 to the Charlotte (N.C.) Junior Checkers in Hartford, Conn.

Karson Frisk and Blayde Briske scored for the Wolves, who received 22 saves from Nathan Wright. Wright made three big saves during that two-man disadvantage.

U-16 -- The Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association's Ice Hawks opened play in in the 1A division in Troy, Mich., with a 4-1 win over the Howard (Md.) Huskies that was sparked by two goals from Clayton Longfellow, and a short-handed goal and assist from Trevor Wagoner.

Jake Eubank added a goal for Kenai and Nathan Olena stopped 25 shots.

In the 2A division, the Alaska North Stars fell 3-2 to the Rhode Island Hitmen.

Dawson Ellingsworth and Bradley Cooper scored for Alaska, and Christopher Gardeline made 34 saves.

U-14 -- The Alaska All Stars used Landon Hill's hat trick to rack a 5-1 victory over the Southern Rhode Island Junior Rams in Charlotte, N.C.

Braden Brunnhoelzl added one goal and one assist, John Hammer had a goal and Mackenzie Fair contributed two helpers. Ronan Klancher stopped 17 of 18 shots and Jack Walters stopped all eight shots he faced.

Tier II girls

U-14 -- The Alaska All Stars made easy work of the Colorado Selects, using a four-goal, five-point game from Kirsten Watts in a 12-1 victory in San Jose.

Summer Charlie (2-2--4), Estee Frantz (2-1--3), Avery Dunn (1-2--3) and Jaden Trboyevich (two goals) all made big contributions as the All Stars outshot the Selects 48-6. Ann Meredith Roberts also scored for the All Stars.

Other Alaskans

Taylor Schwalbe of Anchorage scored two goals to help power Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.) to a 7-0 victory over Team Wisconsin in the girls Tier I U-16 tournament in San Jose.

Defenseman Truman Reed of Anchorage furnished an assist for Shattck-St. Mary's in a 7-2 win over the Washington Little Capitals in Pittsburgh.

Anchorage Daily News

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