Sports

Photos: State high school hockey tournament

WASILLA — Trent Burnham has developed a routine of sorts this season on the morning of an important hockey game — Eagle River High's sophomore goaltender likes to get in a skate, work some drills and take some shots.

Thursday, with a 2:30 p.m. opening-round game looming in the First National Cup state championships, Burnham awoke at 4:45 a.m., drove the 20 minutes or so to the McDonald Center in Eagle River and was on the ice at 6 a.m. to run through his ritual. He's not sure whether it benefits him more physically or emotionally, just that good things seem to happen in the games he prefaces with a morning workout.

"It just feels right,'' Burnham said.

There's a lot of that going on around the Wolves' and their feel-good, breakthrough season these days.

Burnham stopped 30 shots at the Menard Center on Thursday in Eagle River's 2-1 upset of defending runner-up West Valley that marked the Wolves' debut at the state tournament.

Read more: Eagle River upsets West Valley during first day of state hockey tournament

ADVERTISEMENT