Chugiak hockey team caps undefeated season with conference title

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Chugiak Mustangs capped off their undefeated season Saturday by beating South Anchorage 3-0 in the Cook Inlet Conference title game, finishing the regular season at 20-0-1.

Earlier in the week, in an interview with Alaska’s News Source, Chugiak hockey head coach Rod Wild said that he wanted his team to come out and be aggressive and be hard-hitting.

One of the team captains, Hunter Merrick, set the tone early in the first period with a few big hits.

With under two minutes left in the first period, the Mustangs struck first by capitalizing on a power play when Shayden Davis bounced the puck off the outside right crossbar and into the back of the net. His teammate Merrick, accustomed to hard hits, was so excited that he attacked Davis in the celebration.

No goals were scored in the second period as both goaltenders showed why they are two of the best in the state.

In the third period, though, Landen Orebaugh slid a puck under Cooper Kinnear’s leg pad to push the score to 2-0.

Merrick would get in on the scoring action late in the third period to make the score 3-0 and that is where the score would stay, with the Chugiak Mustangs taking home the crown of 2023 Cook Inlet Conference champions and completing their undefeated season, with the only blemish being an early-season tie to Dimond.

The Mustangs will try to win their first state championship since 2017 on Feb. 9 when they start their state tournament run against the only team to tie them all season, the Dimond Lynx.

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