The Eagle River High School hockey team captured the title of the End of the Road Invitational in Homer, upending the host Mariners, 7-0, Saturday.

The Wolves finished the three game tournament with a 2-0-1 record, having tied Hutchison, 5-5, in the first round Nov. 19, and defeating Juneau, 6-5, Friday.

Chugiak High School sophomore Jake Wells skates away from the net after deflecting in the team's first goal against Eagle River and fallen goalie Kyle Haken, while Wolves defenseman Shayne Wescott looks on. Also skating to celebrate Well's goal are Mustang teammates Shane Topf (7) and Sam Linder (19). Chugiak won the hard-fought game, 2-1. PHOTO by DAVID MORSE

The tournament win is a nice feather in the cap for the Wolves, who are enjoying their best season in the school's four-year history.

Coach Kirby Senden opted to have the team fly to Homer for the tournament, arriving just hours before their first game with Hutchison - an alternative high school in Fairbanks similar to the King Career Center in Anchorage.

Eagle River salvaged a tie with the Hawks after witnessing their 4-0 lead through the first 25 minutes evaporate with a three-goal burst by Hutchison in a two-minute span near the end of the second period.

Shayne Wescott and Cole Youngers posted goals in the first period, with senior captain Connor Sperry adding a pair in the second. Hutchison's scoring spree continued with two goals in the third, both in a 30-second span at mid-period, putting the Wolves down, 5-4.

Eagle River's high-scoring front line came through with the game in the balance, with junior Ben Russell scoring off assists from Dacota Wood and Sperry at the 11:21 mark of the final period to secure the draw.

The Wolves were outshot in the game, 23-14, with freshman goaltender Andrew Shortridge equal to the challenge.

"I think Hutchison was our toughest competition there (at the tournament)," said coach Senden. "They have a good team. I think they are going to surprise some teams this year."

Eagle River had to rely on late-game heroics again to muster a 6-5 victory over Juneau-Douglas, after falling behind 2-1 in the first, and again 5-4 late in the third.

The Wolves pulled senior goalie Kyle Haken for an extra attacker with a minute remaining, leading to Sperry scoring the equalizer with 42 seconds remaining off the assist from Russell and Ryan Ghan.

Following the goal, Russell was whistled for a penalty leaving the team shorthanded for the game's last half-minute. But with 19 seconds left, Sperry scored the man-down winning goal with the assist to Wood.

"It was exciting," said Sperry, after returning to Anchorage following a flight delay.

The team capped off the tournament win, defeating the host, 7-0, thanks to a five-goal burst in the second period.

Following a goal by Russell late in the first, the scoring floodgates opened for Eagle River with two goals strikes by Younger and Russell in the second, along with one from Sperry. Russell, the tournament's MVP, ended up with the hat trick.

Wood scored Eagle River's lone goal in the third, with freshman goalie Brandon King securing the shutout with 18 saves.

Senden said he has been pleased with the way the team has responded to pressure-filled situations.

"You try to create that kind of pressure for the players. This tournament was great for us because we had to play with a lot of purpose in order to win. We had to set some goals and we did that," he said.

The Wolves have now scored six goals in late game efforts upon pulling their goalie, the coach reported.

With both Hutchison and Eagle River High finishing 2-0-1 in the round-robin format, and playing even in head-to-head play, Senden said the Wolves won the tourney on the second criteria of the tiebreaker - namely, goals scored, with 18.

The tournament came on the heels of the team's 2-1 loss to Chugiak Nov. 17 at the McDonald Center.

Senden said the game against Chugiak was emotional.

"There's a lot on the line between these two teams and it will always be that way out there, as these guys have grown up with each other and have even played on the same teams together," he said.

The high point of the game came following the final buzzer as Eagle River assistant coach Bryan Wild, son of Chugiak High head coach Rodney Wild, proposed to his girlfriend, Cortney Grant, at center ice with four Wolves players, Ben Russell, Connor Sperry, Cole Younger and Shayne Wescott, carrying placards that read "Will - You - Marry - Me," as Bryan dropped to one knee with ring in hand.

The response was received with a long kiss of affirmation and a sustained applause from the fans at the McDonald Center.

Despite the loss, Senden said the fact that he and the team could be a part of the marriage proposal was tremendous, being that he has been a longtime friend of the Rodney Wild.