Five of seven Alaska youth teams at USA Hockey National Championships across the nation won games Friday and advanced to elimination playoff games Saturday.
Leading the charge in Tier 1, the highest level of American youth hockey, was the Alaska All Stars girls U-19 team, which remained undefeated with a 4-0 win over the Washington Pride in San Jose.
The All Stars (3-0-0) were again buoyed by goaltender Monica Elvin, who authored a 25-save shutout that marked her second bagel in two days. Elvin has permitted one goal in three games, and she owns ridiculous numbers -- an 0.33 goals-against average and .986 save percentage.
The All Stars received two goals from Mackenzie Millen, and one goal and one assist from both Brandi Muller and Bailey Wright.
Here's how the other Alaska teams fared:
Tier I
U-18 boys -- The Alaska Junior Aces (0-2-1) were eliminated in Pittsburgh when Washington Little Caps goaltender Jacob Caffrey stopped 30 shots to backstop a 4-0 victory.
Tier II
U-18/1A boys -- The Alaska Wolves (2-1-0) advanced in Hartford, Conn., courtesy of a 6-0 win over the New Mexico Storm.
Joel Tomuro and Soloman Mabry each furnished two goals and an assist, and Ronald Perry racked three assists. Karson Frisk and Nick Almasy scored goals, and Nathan Wright stopped 11 shots for the shutout.
The Wolves outshot the Storm, 61-11.
U-14 girls -- The Alaska All Stars (3-0-0) advanced in San Jose with a 7-0 smothering of the Lady Vipers of Florida.
Summer Charlie racked two goals and a helper. Kirsten Watts scored one goal and added two assists, and Avery Dunn and Estee Frantz each furnished one goal and one assist. Jaden Trboyevich and Julia Radcliffe each added goals, and Vandalyn Hudson earned the shutout as the All Stars outshot the Vipers 49-9.
U-16/1A boys -- Three skaters on the Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association's Ice Hawks (3-0-0) delivered four-point games to spark a 7-3 win over the Huntsville (Ala.) Chargers in Troy, Mich., and the Ice Hawks will move on to the elimination round.
Jake Eubank went 2-2--4, as did Thomas Bowe, and Trevor Wagner put up 1-3--4 totals. Michael Tilly and Dalton Dosko added goals, and Nathan Olena stopped 22 shots.
U-16/2A boys -- The Alaska North Stars (0-2-1) were eliminated in Troy by virtue of their 4-1 loss to the Scorpions of Florida.
Leo Karcz scored the North Stars goal.
U-14/2A boys -- The Alaska All Stars (3-0-0) stormed into the playoffs with a 7-3 win over the Casco Bay (Maine) Mariners in Charlotte, N.C.
Andrew Beckett delivered a hat trick and John Hammer furnished four assists. Maxwell Osborne and Tanner Dragomir each contributed one goal and one assist, and Connor Orr and Landon Hill each scored on goal.
Other Alaskans
Defenseman Truman Reed of Anchorage recorded an assist for the third straight game to help the Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.) U-18 boys (3-0-0) earn a 4-1 win over the Colorado Thunderbirds in the Tier I tournament in Pittsburgh.
In San Jose, Taylor Schwalbe of Anchorage was held off the score sheet for the first time in the tournament, but her Shattuck U-16 Tier I girls team (3-0-0) advanced on the strength of a 7-0 victory over the Mid Fairfield (Conn.) Stars.
Anchorage Daily News