Sports

8 of 9 Alaska teams advance at USA Hockey Youth Nationals

Eight of Alaska's nine teams in the USA Hockey Youth Nationals advanced to quarterfinals in Sunday's elimination round.

The Alaska teams moved on after three days of pool play, which wrapped Saturday in the five-day tournaments across the country. Sunday brings both quarterfinals and semifinals, with championship games set for Monday.

All the Alaska teams are competing in Tier II, the second level of American youth hockey.

All three Alaska girls teams advanced and five of six boys teams advanced.

Here's how the Alaskans fared Saturday:

GIRLS

19 and under – Caitlin Miscovich and Jae Meier racked goals to spark the Alaska Icebreakers (2-0-1) to a 2-0 victory over the Princeton Tiger Lilies of New Jersey in East Lansing, Michigan.

16 and under – Tana Bartels and Emily Kubichek delivered goals, and Gabrielle Gibson stopped 11 shots to lead Team Alaska (3-0-0) to a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Junior Titans in East Lansing.

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14 and under – Goals from Journey Miller and Leah Johnson furnished the Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association Ice Hawks (1-1-1) to a 2-0 defeat of the New Jersey Colonials in East Lansing.

Jayce Laskhas earned the shutout with seven saves.

BOYS

18 and under – After trailing by two goals deep into the third period, the Anchorage North Stars (2-1-0) rallied for a 5-3 win over Chesterfield (Missouri) in Troy, Michigan.

Bradley Kuper scored two goals for the North Stars, who also received one goal and one assist from both Kyle Sun and Samuel Hanson. Alex Bardsley scored for Anchorage, Tyler Millar posted two assists and Chris Gardeline made 25 saves.

In the same division, the Fairbanks Arctic Lions (0-3-0) became the only Alaska team eliminated in pool play when they lost 4-1 to Twin Bridges (Missouri). Stanley Skorulski scored for Fairbanks.

16 and under – The Alaska Oilers (2-1-0) converted five of seven power plays to generate an 8-3 victory over Team Illiana (Indiana) in Plano, Texas.

Tanner Edwards checked in with a five-point performance -- one goal, four helpers -- and John Fabeck added two goals and one assist, as did Kolby Klingenmeyer. Jackson Karcz furnished one goal and two assists, Luke Martensen scored one goal and set up another, and Kyler Mack added a goal.

Also advancing in that division was the Alaska Junior Avalanche (2-1-0), despite a 5-1 loss to the Atlanta Phoenix (Georgia). Jacob Hessinger scored for the Avs and Joseph Diltz made 34 saves.

14 and under – Isaiah Saville delivered 26 saves for his second shutout in three games and Trevor Sawicki scored a second-period, power-play strike to lift the Anchorage Mighty Moose (2-1-0) to a 1-0 win over the Montana Badgers in Salt Lake City.

In the same tournament, the Mat-Su Eagles (2-1-0) lost 6-3 to the Scorpions Hockey Club (Florida) but advanced nonetheless.

Zachary Plucinski and Porter Schachle each scored one goal and one assist for the Eagles, and Grant Epple scored a goal. All three players have scored at least one goal in all three games.

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