Team Alaska, a collection of players from the Anchorage area and Fairbanks, will play for the girls 16-and-under Tier II title at the USA Hockey Youth Nationals on Monday.
The Alaskans (5-0-0) advanced to the championship game against the East Coast Wizards of Massachusetts in East Lansing, Michigan, courtesy of Helenka Brice's strike in double overtime, which earned them a 2-1 victory over the Vermont Shamrocks on Sunday.
Gabrielle Gibson stopped 30 shots for Team Alaska, which earlier in the day racked a 5-0 quarterfinal win over Livonia, Michigan. Gibson has delivered three shutouts in five games
Alaska's other goal in the semifinal came from Mikayla Lantto, off assists from Brice and Emily Kubichek.
Gibson stopped 13 shots in the quarters, when Team Alaska received one goal and one assist from Kubichek, and single goals from Brice, Lantto, Jaden Trboyevich and Summer Charlie.
One other Alaska girls team won a quarterfinal Sunday before being eliminated in the semifinals in East Lansing.
The Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association Ice Hawks (2-2-1) beat the Troy Sting of Michigan 2-1 in the Tier II 14-and-under quarters on goals from Allison McCarron and Anna Shelden. The Ice Hawks lost 6-1 in the semis to the Amherst Knights (New York). Leah Johnson scored Kenai's goal.
Also in Lansing, the Alaska Icebreakers (2-1-1) fell 3-2 in triple overtime of a quarterfinal game against Marquette, Michigan. Aubrielle Champagne made 41 saves for the Alaskans, who received goals from Courtney Cox and Jade Meier.
Eight of Alaska's nine teams in national tournaments – all nine played in Tier II, the second level of American youth pucks – emerged out of pool play to get to the quarterfinals Saturday.
Alaska teams have won six titles all-time at the USA Hockey Youth Nationals, three in Tier I and three in Tier II.
Here's how Alaska's other teams fared Sunday:
BOYS
18-and-under – The Anchorage North Stars (2-2-0) were eliminated in the quarterfinals with a 5-2 loss to Sylvania (Ohio) in Troy, Michigan.
Samuel Hanson scored one goal for the North Stars and assisted on Jack Martensen's goal.
16-and-under – Christopher Alexakis stopped 37 shots, but his Alaska Oilers (2-2-0) were outshot 40-9 and were eliminated after a 3-0 loss to the Ashburn Xtreme (Virginia) in Plano, Texas.
Also in Plano, Garrett Conroy scored a goal for the Alaska Junior Avalanche (2-2-0), who got eliminated by a 9-1 loss to the Scorpions (Florida).
14-and-under – Ryan Bailey and Riley Sloane each furnished one goal and one assist in the first period, but the Anchorage Mighty Moose (2-2-0) lost 6-2 to the Scorpions (Florida) and were knocked out in Salt Lake City, Utah. Isaiah Saville made 37 saves for the Mighty Moose.
Also in Salt Lake City, the Mat-Su Eagles were eliminated by a 5-1 loss to Chesterfield, Missouri. Austin Stephens scored for the Eagles.