South buries Dimond to remain unbeaten in CIC hockey

It's official: the South Wolverines are the hockey team to beat in the Cook Inlet Conference.

South and Dimond played Wednesday in a battle of unbeatens and the Wolverines pulled away with a 5-1 win in front of a packed crowd at Ben Boeke Arena.

South (8-0) scored three goals in the third period, including two late, in the statement victory over the Lynx (8-1).

"I felt like we just kept going until it was over," said South forward Trevor Sawicki, who scored the Wolverines' second goal. "We didn't stop one second in the game, never let up.

"They got one and we didn't look down on it, didn't look down on ourselves and just kept going the whole game."

In a game that doubled as a charity event for Toys for Tots and the American Diabetes Association of Alaska, both teams wore festive game jerseys that were auctioned off during the game. The jerseys featured Christmas light patterns and the words "Toys for Tots" on the bottom.

Eight big bins at the arena entrance were filled to the brim with board games, stuffed animals, sleds and other toys.

Wednesday's game started as a defensive battle until Nicholas Corbin broke a 10-minute deadlock when he received the puck racing down the ice and flipped in a goal in the first period.

In the second period the teams traded goals late.

Sawicki got a chance right after leaving the penalty box, but his shot went high. Another Sawicki shot was blocked by Dimond goalie Gabi Gibson a couple minutes later before Sawicki connected on his next attempt to put the Wolverines up 2-0.

"Didn't finish the (first two), but wasn't down on myself and knew I'd come back next shift and we'd get one," Sawicki said.

Dimond bounced back a minute later with a Brenden Anaruk goal on a backdoor pass from Jaiden Gibson to cut South's lead to 2-1 going into the third period.

The third period was all Wolverines.

South added three goals in the period, including a breakaway goal by senior forward Hunter Schmitz that provided the dagger with two minutes to go.

Schmitz's goal stretched South's lead to 5-1 and was South's second goal in a 31-second span.

"The team got me the puck and somehow I found a way to put it in," Schmitz said.

South's strong play in the offensive zone was complimented by a superb penalty kill. The Wolverines committed six penalties to two for Dimond, but every time the Lynx had a power-play, they weren't able to break through South's defense.

Dimond started the third period with a man advantage and 1:53 left in the power play, but South cleared the puck three times, shaving precious time off the clock.

"We've just stuck to our systems, and pretty much with our systems, you can stick any guy in there," Schmitz said. "Coach tells us what to do and we get it done."

South goalie Alex Pavia repelled 12 pucks and Gibson garnered 25 saves for Dimond. When the final buzzer sounded, the Wolverines piled on Pavia at the net.

"I'd say we controlled play for the most part and I think we're feeling pretty good about going forward," Schmitz said.