Anchorage Daily News

Yvan Corbin got a nice looking buck Tuesday and his East Thunderbirds bagged an even nicer looking victory.

Ryan Luiten's game-winner with 19 seconds left in regulation brought the T-birds back from the dead to beat Service 4-3 and give high school hockey a season-opening thriller at Ben Boeke Arena.

"Corbin missed a good game," said Luiten, a junior who rattled off two of the T-birds' four power-play goals in the final period.

East's fourth-year coach was off hunting on Prince of Wales Island near Craig in Southeast Alaska. Corbin called his coaching staff early Tuesday to spread the good news that he bagged a buck.

As it turned out, East assistants Kevin McNeill and Mark Cohen will have better news to share this morning.

"We're undefeated without Yvan," McNeill joked.

East's assistants are now 5-0 all-time without their bench boss thanks to a flurry of third-period goals and some costly Service penalties.

The Cougars coughed up a 3-1 lead in the final 3 minutes, 44 seconds and committed four penalties in the last 4:22 to lose the nonconference game.

"We were really good for about two and a half periods," Service coach Keith Morris said. "You can't go to the penalty box for the last five minutes and expect to win."

Service grabbed a 3-1 lead with 10:04 left when Derik Guzman notched his second goal of the game. But Luiten, East's top returning scorer from last season, scored on the power play with 3:44 remaining to put the T-birds within a goal.

Then East newcomer Gage Christianson -- a South transfer -- tied the game at 2:06 with his first goal as a T-bird.

After the goal, Service was called for interference, then a boarding call 18 seconds later.

The penalties granted East a 5-on-3 with 1:48 to go and guaranteed a power play for the rest of the game.

The situation was so sweet East coaches called a timeout to draw up a plan to win.

"They told us to set up our man, move the puck back and forth, crash the net -- goal," Luiten said. "We knew that if we did that it would work."

The plan worked as the T-birds put the puck near the net. A shot deflected off a skate and popped right to Luiten, who stood a stick-length away from goalie Cody Gongora.

"I just chipped it over him," said Luiten, who scored with 19 seconds to spare.

The victory felt good for Luiten, who spoiled Morris' high school coaching debut. The former UAA player and assistant took over for long-time bench boss Brush Christiansen, who is also Luiten's uncle.

"Service is our big rival and we'd always joke about me being a T-bird," Luiten said. "So I was glad to put it to them."

East's Nicholas Cohen assisted on three of four goals and Luiten added two assists to finish with four points.

If Tuesday's game was any indication of the parity in the Cook Inlet Conference, Morris said it should be a wild winter.

"East played with a lot of passion and they deserved to win," he said. "East is a vastly improved team, so it's good.

"You have to bring your A game to win every night no matter who you play."

Find Kevin Klott online at adn.com/contact/kklott or call 257-4335.

Service 1 1 1 -- 3

East 0 0 4 -- 4

First Period -- 1, Service, Cronin (Trupp), 10:47. Penalties -- Service 3 penalties for 6 minutes; East 2 for 4.

Second Period -- 2, Service, Guzman (Vivian), 13:56. Penalties -- Service 2 for 4; East 4 for 8.

Third Period -- 3, East, Belluomini (Cohen, Luiten), 4:16; 4, Service, Guzman (Vivian, Lamothe), 4:56; 5, East, Luiten (Cohen), 11:16; 6, East, Christianson (Luiten, Cohen), 12:54; 7, East, Luiten (Hudson), 14:41. Penalties -- Service 7 for 22; East 0 for 0.

Goalies -- Service, Gongora 7-7-14--28; East, Oehrlein 14-5-5--24.

Palmer 12, E. River 2

Jared Hansen scored four goals, while Michael Hanson and Ivan Good chipped in two each as Palmer crushed Eagle River in Tuesday's nonconference game at Palmer Ice Arena.

Ryan Ghan put Eagle River on the scoreboard first at 9:00 of the first period. Ben Russell scored the Wolves' other goal.

Eagle River 1 0 1 -- ?2

Palmer 3 4 5 -- 12

First Period -- 1, Eagle River, Ghan, 9:00; 2, Palmer, Richards, 7:27; 3, Palmer, M. Hansen, 6:07; 4, Palmer, J. Hansen, 2:27.

Second Period -- 5, Palmer, M. Hansen 12:31; 6, Palmer, Reeves, 11:11; 7, Palmer, J. Hansen 4:21; 8, Palmer, Isaacs, 1:49.

Third Period -- 9, Eagle River, Russell, 13:31; 10, Palmer, Good, 12:45; 11, Palmer, Acher, 10:52; 12, Palmer, Good, 9:54; 13, Palmer, J. Hansen 6:01; 14, Palmer, J. Hansen, 1:59.

Goalies -- Eagle River, Johanson/McLean 27 saves; Palmer, Naegele, 14 saves.

Houston 5, Colony 4

Michah Ranum scored four goals Tuesday as Houston held on to beat Colony in a nonconference game at Wasilla Sports Complex.

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