The Service Cougars needed every one of their nine lives on Wednesday night to claw their way back time and time again to win a 3-2 Cook Inlet Conference overtime catfight over the Dimond Lynx at Ben Boeke.
"Cougars never quit," said Service sniper Bradley Kuper, whose game-winning deflection with 4:08 left in the extra period gave his team its only lead of the game.
Kuper's goal came after Jack Martensen won the face-off in the Dimond end, getting the puck to Brady Graff, who fired a slap shot from just inside the blue line. Cooper kept his stick on the ice in front of Dimond goaltender Chris Gardeline, deflecting the puck cleanly past the junior keeper.
"Everyone was rolling today," Kuper said.
Dimond led 1-0 after the first period and 2-1 after the second. But Service never allowed the Lynx to pull away.
"You've got to be able to respond to adversity, and that's what we did," said Service coach Joel Carter, whose team tied Dimond (10-2-0) atop the CIC standings with 20 points. However, the Cougars (10-1-0) have played one fewer game than the Lynx, and Dimond coach Dennis Sorensen said he thinks the Cougars are now the team to beat for the regular season title.
"I don't think anyone else can beat them," said Sorensen, whose team handed the Cougars their only conference loss in December.
Sorensen sat three players for disciplinary reasons, and said he was proud of the way his squad battled.
"The guys that were out there played their butts off," he said.
Dimond took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period on an unassisted strike by Spencer Penman, who lifted a nifty backhander over the shoulder of Service goalie Ronan Klancher.
The Cougars tied it 1-1 in the second on the first of two Martensen goals. Tyler Millar set up the play, carrying the puck in deep before centering at the last second to a streaking Martensen in front of the net.
Dimond again took a one-goal lead into the intermission when Austin Fitzgerald capitalized on a Service turnover in front of Klancher, beating the Service goalie from point-blank range with three minutes to go in the frame.
Service's second equalizer was credited to Martensen, but the puck was actually knocked into the net by Gardeline's younger brother, sophomore defenseman Sean. During a scrum in front, Martensen slid the puck dangerously across the crease. The younger Gardeline attempted to clear the puck, but he accidentally knocked it backward and past his brother.
Although the goal was scored in bizarre fashion, it came after Service had begun to slowly take over the run of play. The Cougars outshot Dimond 31-24 in the game, including a 5-1 advantage in overtime.
"It's a great feeling for these kids," said Carter, whose team's remaining games are against third-place South (17 points), fourth-place West (15 points) and seventh-place East (4 points).
Dimond's final two games are against West and South.
The battle for the top seed is important because whoever wins the regular season title will likely face winless Bartlett in the first round of the CIC playoffs.
"Everyone's ultimate goal is to go to state, and you'd like to give yourself the best possible chance to get there," Carter said.
The game was played in front of a packed house at Ben Boeke, a fitting atmosphere for a playoff-caliber hockey game between longtime South Anchorage rivals. Kuper said Service's players knew how important the game was, and afterward said he was thrilled to put his squad in the CIC's catbird seat.
"It's pretty great," he said. "This really puts us in position to take control of the league."
Contact reporter Matt Tunseth at 257-4335 or mtunseth@alaskadispatch.com.
Cook Inlet Conference hockey
G W L T PTS
Service 11 10 1 0 20
Dimond 12 10 2 0 20
South 12 8 3 1 17
West 10 7 2 1 15
Eagle River 10 5 5 0 10
Chugiak 11 3 8 0 6
East 12 2 10 0 4
Bartlett 11 0 11 0 0
Remaining games
Friday, Jan. 23
West vs. Service, Ben Boeke, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 24
West vs. Bartlett, Ben Boeke, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 27
West vs. Dimond, Ben Boeke, 6:30 p.m.
Bartlett vs. Chugiak, McDonald Center, 7:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 28
Service vs. East, Ben Boeke, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 29
Dimond at South, Ben Boeke, 6:30 p.m.
Bartlett vs. Eagle River, McDonald Center, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 30
East vs. West, Ben Boeke, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 31
South at Service, Ben Boeke, 6:30 p.m.
Eagle River vs. Chugiak, McDonald Center, 7:15 p.m.
END REGULAR SEASON