JoEllen Walters attempts to beat Dimond-West's Brandi Muller to the loose puck during Cook Inlet Conference action Friday at the McDonald Center. The Dimond-West team spoiled senior night, winning 14-2. Star Photo By DARRELL L. BREESE

Coach Tom Moore didn't look like a coach whose team just suffered a 14-2 loss Friday, after the Dimond-West girls hockey team routed the combined Chugiak-Eagle River squad on senior night at the McDonald Center. Instead, he wore a smile as he stood outside the team's locker room.

"I think it was a good outing for us," he said. "The girls never let up and played hard up to the final whistle."

Despite his team allowing 14 goals, Moore praised the play of first-time goaltender Hailey Foster.

"She made 24 saves," he said. "And that was her first time playing the position all season. I think she at least got a pad on every goal."

Foster allowed only four goals during the game, which she didn't have an initial touch of the puck. The Dimond-West girls capitalized on countless rebounds and lucky rolls to score most of its goals – including each of the seven goals scored in the second period to blow the game open.

"They just got a lot of breaks in front of the net," Moore said. "We didn't give Hailey the support she need in clearing the puck, and we paid for it."

The game was close early, with the "Wolf-stangs" trailing 2-1 late in the first period thanks to a breakaway goal scored by freshman Autumn Sperry. She intercepted a pass at the blue line and skated in one-on-one against goalie Julia McDonald, lifting the puck over her gloved hand to make the score 2-1.

Brandi Muller and MacKenzie Boardman led the Dimond-West charge in the second period, as each scored three goals as they extended the lead to 10-1.

"That period broke our backs a little," Moore said. "We let things get out of control and never really recovered."

The visiting team added to its lead in the third period, scoring four goals.

Rachel Fore gave the Chugiak-Eagle River girls something to cheer about with a rocket from the blue line in the closing moments of the third period. Her goal was set up by a series of one-touch passes from Sperry and Katie Sloan originating from behind the net.

"That was a pretty goal," Moore said. "They passed the puck so well that the defense was spinning in circles looking for the puck."

The confusion caused by the crisp passes gave Fore a clear shot at the net.

The game marked the final regular season outing for the five seniors on the combined high school team.

"I'm disappointed that we couldn't get a win for the seniors," Moore said. "It would have been nice for them to win one game this season."

Chugiak-Eagle River lost its final regular season game Saturday to Service-East, 9-0.

The two losses marked an end to the regular season for Chugiak-Eagle River, which has an overall record of 0-19-1 and a conference record of 0-14-1.

Chugiak-Eagle River opened the playoff against the unbeaten South-Bartlett team Tuesday, in the first round of the conference tournament.

Eagle River High School's Michelle Wilson and Chugiak's Morgan Elledge were named to the All-Conference team, selected by the league's coaches.

Reach the reporter at darrell.breese.@alaskastar.com.

Dimond-West 14, Chugiak-Eagle River 2

Dimond-West 3 7 4 - 14

Chugiak-Eagle River 1 0 1 - 2

First Period - 1, Dimond-West, Tufi (Muller) 4:10; 2, Dimond-West, Muller (Tufi) 7:35; 3, Chugiak-Eagle River, Sperry 8:49; 4, Dimond-West, Boardman (Redick, Brodie) 9:34. Penalties - Dimond-West 1 for 2. Chugiak-Eagle River 2 for 4.

Second Period - 5, Dimond-West, Muller (Soria) :26; 6, Dimond-West, Kristiansen (Redick) 3:55; 7, Dimond-West, Boardman 4:14; 8, Dimond-West, Wright (Lau, Tufi) 5:34; 8, Dimond-West, Boardman 6:06; 9, Dimond-West, Geraghty (Redick) 10:42 (sh). Penalties - Dimond-West 2 for 4. Chugiak-Eagle River 2 for 4.

Third Period - 10, Dimond-West, Soria (Muller) :24; 11, Dimond-West, Kristiansen, 6:42; 12, Chugiak-Eagle River, Fore (Sperry, Sloan) 7:40 (pp); 13, Dimond-West, Redick 10:13; 14, Dimond-West Brodie (Muller) 10:58. Penalties - Dimond-West 2 for 4. Chugiak-Eagle River 3 for 14.

Goalies - Dimond-West, McDonald (2-2-3_7). Chugiak-Eagle River, Foster (8-9-6-23).

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, February 4, 2010.