Alaska Nanooks Hockey Blog

A New Era of Nanook Hockey

2018-09-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

As the 2018 season comes upon us, we are starting a new era of Nanooks hockey. While there have been three different head coaches in as many years, both Lance West, and now Erik Largen were not new to the program. While I don't personally like how the transition of powers went down in the spring, the team is in a solid place right now. Erik Largen is a hometown guy, an alumni of the program, and has a great mind for the sport. With the addition of Karlis Zirnis and Joe Howe, I'm ready for an evolution of Alaska Hockey. While what that looks like remains to be seen, there is a theme of optimism and positive energy throughout the team right now that is almost palpable.

The Nanooks' first official team practice is Monday, and I'm looking forward to seeing the format and how engaged the team is. Of course this is also the first look at the freshmen, and I'm excited about their potential. With 10 freshman suiting up, that's about a third of the total roster. And there is a lot of talent there that I'll get into at a later point.

I had a chance to sit down with Nanooks head coach Erik Largen to get his thoughts as he prepares to get the season started. I still intend to focus more of my time on these videos as I think they're a bit more beneficial than my written prose, and you get more than just my own opinions. That said, I do want to write more and make this blog a place to visit again.

Head Coach Erik Largen

2018-05-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

I don't think I envisioned that title being a reality a month or two ago. But through adversity comes opportunity for Erik and the Nanooks next season. Erik fought for the viability for the program and UAF is committing long term both to Erik and the team--full scholarships, boosted recruiting budget, better salaries for assistant coaches, and a stable operating budget.

Being involved with the FaceOff Club the last couple of years, a lot has weighed on the boosters to fund things like team activities and meals while they're on the road. Some of that will still happen I'm sure, but hopefully this will allow us to invest in other fundraising opportunities and get more into our scholarship fund.

As you know I haven't had much time to write much. Between my full time job, some side work gigs, and some modicum of a personal life. If you haven't followed me on YouTube, you can catch up on some of the videos I've posted on the channel the past two years. It's a lot less time for me to throw up a camera with someone that you want to listen to than to spend time researching and hours writing these posts. It does take a lot of effort, and I took a bit of pride in it. For those that followed here, I hope you will follow the videos too.

Follow the Nanooks Hockey Blog on YouTube

It's Been Quite a Year

2017-02-20T21:56:00.000-09:00

I honestly really hate that I haven't had a chance to put anything up here at all in nearly a year. So much of my time has been wrapped up in fundraising efforts with the Face Off Club (throwback jerseys, anyone?), work, travel, and helping out my wife while she finishes graduate school. Here's to hoping that her Master's degree becomes my meal ticket and she can be my sugar momma and I can study and write about hockey all day long. And watch hockey. Maybe that seems a bit like a pipe dream...

But here we are, heading into the final week of the regular season. The Nanooks finish off their showing at home with a less than stellar 5-8-1-0 season record. The LSSU series was an interesting one. Tempers flared in the first game, ending with 115 penalty minutes being assessed after a skirmish broke out during the handshake line, infamously highlighted by the Nanooks 3rd string goalie Niko DellaMaggiore earning a game DQ for facemasking, and LSSU equipment manager Paul Prucha crossing the line and shoving Nanooks' captain Brandon Morley. Neither of which should have happened, but the latter being completely inexcusable.

Nevertheless, four out of a possible six points to close out the home schedule isn't a bad run, neither is going 2-1-1 this season against LSSU when the conference point standings are coming down to the wire and LSSU finishing their season at home against Ferris State.

Speaking of conference standings, lets take a peak at what those look like entering the final weekend.

		PTS	W-L-T	GP	GF-GA
1	Bemidji State	61	19-5-2	26	68-41
2	Michigan Tech	51	14-6-6	26	74-52
3	Minnesota State	48	14-8-4	26	86-65
4	Ferris State	38	11-12-3	26	71-69
	Bowling Green	38	12-13-1	26	70-65
6	Alaska	34	9-13-4	26	61-80
7	Lake Superior	32	8-12-6	26	73-80
8	Northern Michigan	31	9-14-3	26	62-69
9	Alabama-Huntsville	30	9-14-3	26	68-86
10	Alaska-Anchorage	26	6-14-6	26	48-74

Courtesy of CollegeHockeyNews.com

Nobody can catch Bemidji, they've already wrapped up the MacNaughton Cup. Michigan Tech closes out with a home-and-home against Northern Michigan, and can fend off Mankato if they're able to muster at least 4 points due to Mankato owning a 2-1-1 head to head advantage. But MTU or the Mavericks will end up hosting the first round in either 2nd or 3rd place. The last playoff spot rides on Ferris State, Bowling Green, or the Nanooks. Bowling Green hosts a desperate UAH team, and Ferris goes on the road to the Lakers, which has about the highest seeding implications among all of the series this weekend.

The Nanooks have statistically the most favorable match-up against the last-place Seawolves. I think we all know that we can toss the records out the window here, but ACC can finish no better than 8th place with 32 points - and that's wholly dependent on Northern Michigan getting 0 points and UAH getting only 1 this weekend as the Seawolves lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to both teams, including LSSU, who already sits at 32 points.

The Nanooks sit in a much better spot. With a potential six point weekend, and a Bulldog and Falcon meltdown, the Nanooks could host a first round playoff series in fourth place. Regardless of how things shake out here, the Nanooks are 1-0-1 against FSU, so the tiebreaker here comes to conference wins. Should the Nanooks sweep, and Ferris get swept both teams would end up with 11 conference wins and the Nanooks would win the tie breaker due to the head to head matchup. The only way the Nanooks can leap BG is a sweep against Anchorage, the rest of that fate lies in the hands of the UAH Chargers.

Most of this what-if-nonsense is best/worst case figures. All of the variance and splits introduce a whole other world of probability that I'll leave to Geof Morris to help figure out. Of course numbers mean very little after the puck is dropped...

On that note, a lot of eyes will be watching these games this weekend. The Nanooks have hoisted the Governor's cup seven consecutive times now. Just to put that into perspective, Nanook rookies Troy Van Tetering and Tristan Thompson were still in the 7th grade the last time that trophy lived in Anchorage. Broadening that out, the Nanooks have won 12 of the last 15.

The Nanooks don't have much of a scoring threat to worry about except for Mason Mitchell (who I will attest for being a stellar human being, he really is. Despite his school choice). A few guys have a few more points than he does, but he is the team's lone 10 goal scorer, double that of the next closest guy. Matt Anholt has broken the 20 point mark, which bests any Nanook player thus far. But beyond the top four Seawolf scorers, the stats take a bit of a dive to 9 points. The Nanooks have 10 players with 10 or more points to their credit, which will be needed to crack Mantha, assuming he starts.

The Nanooks have been playing quite well since their eye-opening weekend in South Bend. Despite running into Tolvanen in the middle of his hot streak, our guys were making all of the right plays to get in scoring position. This weekend is going to be about controlling the transition game and limiting Anchorage's offensive zone possession time.

I have no doubt that Nanook fans will show up in droves this weekend to the Sullivan. There will be a bus load of students, and I've heard "See you in Anchorage" countless times since Saturday. This should be a fun one.

Go 'Nooks!

The Impact of a Player

2016-03-08T21:43:00.003-09:00

Before I get this going, I have to get something off my chest...

WOOOOOO!!!!! 7 IN A ROW BABY! 3-0-1 AGAINST ACC CONSTITUTES A WINNING SEASON IN MY BOOK!

...

OK, on to some analysis.

On the last road trip, the Nanooks faced a tough Michigan Tech team just after splitting with an equally talented Bowling Green team at home. The Nanooks found themselves in a hole early by 4 goals. Enter Davis Jones... The Nanooks responded, and with a vengeance. With the game tied 5-5 late in the 3rd, the game ended in the final minute with Michigan Tech netting the game winner. Next night, the Nanooks weathered quite a few storms, which might be an understatement. Davis Jones was on fire, and came up with 48 saves on 51 shots, with the last shot being the OT game winner for MTU.

But the Nanooks had some offensive success. With 10 goals in 4 games, the Nanooks 2.5 goals per game average was the highest it has been since just after the winter break. A time when I had hoped the Nanooks offense would get them over the hump and get the season turned around.

Then Tyler Morley gets hurt.

The teams leader, leading scorer, and a guy who simply makes others around him better goes down, and the team's struggles continue. Now I'm not saying the team struggled without him in the lineup. Sure, losing your leading goal scorer hurts, but there's 24 other guys active on the roster to get the job done.

And in those 4 games, the Nanooks put on their best showing, despite a 1-3-0 record to show for it.

And then Captain Morley returns for the Nanooks in resounding fashion in a win-and-in playoff situation coupled with an opportunity against the arch rival Seawolves to not only retain the Governor's Cup for a 7th straight year. But to also keep them out of the playoffs in the process.

And with a 4 point weekend, Captain Morley said ACC would not put their fingers on the cup, nor even get a sniff at the playoffs for a second straight year. With the Nanooks season extended, the boys head to Houghton this week for a rematch amidst a really familiar set of circumstances.

2013...one week before the playoffs, the Nanooks sweep Michigan State. Sparty comes back for the playoffs and wins in 3.

2014...one week before the playoffs, the Nanooks split with Anchorage (including that 7-2 Seawolf beatdown). ACC comes back for the playoffs and wins in 3.

2016...two weeks before the playoffs Tech sweeps in Houghton (not to mention swept the 'Nooks in Fairbanks back in November), and look where we are headed.

They say the past shapes the future. With 4 games already under the belt this season against each other, there's not much different circumstantially than last week. The Huskies have won 14 of the last 15, and amassing 27 goals in the last 5 games, including 9 goals in the final game they played at Bemidji the week before the series against the 'Nooks. Last weekend during the rivalry series in a home and home with Northern Michigan, the Huskies dispatched the Wildcats soundly with a cumulative 9-1 tally.

Beating the Huskies isn't going to be an easy task. But with Davis Jones playing lights out, and the return of Tyler Morley and John Mullally will make this weekend even more interesting. And if the Nanooks can play with the grit they showed against Anchorage, expect some great hockey.

The Long Road Home

2016-02-04T18:30:00.001-09:00

A bit of a lapse in posts for a while, I know. Things have been pretty crazy, but I did get a couple of videos up over at the YouTube channel. I need to invest some time getting all of the graphics and stuff done for the channel to make it look better, but for now its a good spot to throw videos and embed remotely here.

Obviously, not a great run the Nanooks are on right now. Sitting solidly in 9th place out of a playoff spot, but the standings are very tight through the middle. Not a lot of points separate the Nanooks and the rest of the field which is sort of the saving grace right now.

Check out the interview in the video embedded here.

There's a lot we could discuss about what the Nanooks really need to do, but getting down to it: It's finishing plays, and playing with poise. The Nanooks are losing games by inches. Coach Ferguson touches on it in the interview, but in the game with Wisconsin, momentum was a huge key the Nanooks couldn't capitalize on. After scoring a goal, they couldn't hold the Badgers off and it was either tied again, or they took the lead back. One of those series where the final score really didn't indicate the type of games that were played.

Ferris State is quite a familiar opponent. A lot of time has passed since the last time the Nanooks squared off with them, but their game hasn't really changed. But getting the Bulldogs on the big ice of the Carlson Center is always a big advantage for the Nanooks.

I will be out of town this weekend and won't be able to watch the games. Raleigh Johnson of the Ice Dogs fame will be manning the PA from the ice in my stead. Hoping to enjoy a fun trip out to Arizona for a week.

Also a big shout out and well wishes for Donald Dunlop over at the UAA Fan Blog. He's run into some unfortunate health issues and is having to leave the state to get himself taken care of. We've often poked fun at one another, but this is just a friendly rivalry. Nothing but the best wishes from me as he gets through this. Cheers, buddy.

Time To Ring in 2016 With Offense

2016-01-02T14:41:00.000-09:00

The Nanooks closed out 2015 with a bang. Hell of a good weekend for the boys down in Anchorage ending a seven game winless skid and culled any momentum ACC had coming off their sweep in Houghton.

The Nanooks need to get some momentum going of their own here after the holidays and get some offense going. Getting guys like Marcus Basara and Alec Hajdukovich back on the score sheets just before Christmas was big. Alec had either been a healthy scratch or on the 4th line for a few weeks, and Marcus had not scored a point in the previous 6 games.

The Nanooks took down Anchorage with defense and a stellar weekend from Jesse Jenks, who has likely cemented himself in the starting role. The kid has the calm nerves of Chad Johnson, its unreal. But the last series the Nanooks faced with the Beavers in Bemidji saw a 1-1 split with a total of 16 goals scored on the weekend.

The first series after the break has gone very much in the Nanooks' favor though in recent years. Swept Ferris State last season at home, split with Mankato to start off 2014 at the Carlson Center, and swept Michigan at Yost the first series of 2013 in the last season of the CCHA before going on to sweep Notre Dame in South Bend. I'm sure John Keeney remembers that road trip very well.

Coach Ferguson had the players back in town on the 26th and held the first practice that night. The guys have had some time to get things going in practice without the burden of school on their minds. Hopefully they can rally and start to separate themselves from the bottom of the standings with a much needed 4 points here at home this weekend before playing 6 straight on the road.

Rivalry Week - 'Nuff Said

2015-12-09T23:37:00.000-09:00

This week we get to see the Fairbanks/Anchorage rivalry renewed yet again. As many acclaim, its less of a collegiate duel than it is a battle of cities. On one side, the city fanboys who love to look at Alaska out of their windows. Be it their cars, offices, or for the few that can afford to look at Alaska from atop the hillside (hopefully without getting shot).
And on the other, those that live Alaska. Where many of the same amenities are still available "in town", but a 15 minute journey with drivers you don't feel the urge to strangle every few minutes, and you're now in a home abreast the wilderness and nightly Aurora shows that Gangchorage folk can only dream of. And the only risk of bullets flying your way come from the gun that you can freely discharge on your property likely without disturbing anyone.

The series ascends beyond hockey. Both sides want to stick it to the other. Both sides want their names inscribed on the 85-pound behemoth that bears the Governor's Cup name. Big hits, fast pace, and good quality hockey.

Looking at things on paper right now, Anchorage should sweep the 'Nooks. I won't sugar coat it. Anchorage swept a good Michigan Tech team in their barn. Timing favored Anchorage in that one after getting pounded by Mankato, staying out, and waiting for Tech to travel back from Fairbanks. The 'Nooks have lost 5 in a row at home now, and sit tied for last in the standings at 6 points with the season nearly half-over. Anchorage sits in 6th with 11 points right now. A Nanooks sweep would close the gap to 10 before Christmas and still a lot of games left to go.

This weekend has a lot of similar feelings to 2013-14. The Nanooks face a tough loss at home to Michigan Tech, who weren't that good at the time. Then go on the road to Anchorage with a conference record of 2-6-0 then, lose the first game in close fashion 3-2 while allowing only 16 shots on goal. Then winning in glorious fashion Saturday with Sean Cahill getting his first win of the year that night.

Honestly though, I really don't think there's a need to discuss stats. At all. They mean nothing. Previous records mean nothing, goals scored, against, special teams, etc. In the end, it doesn't matter.

I had another chance this week to sit down with Coach Ferguson to discuss the Lakers series and to look ahead this week. Check it out.

On a personal note, this is the one series I will take a step back from and enjoy as a fan. I won't be posting live updates to Twitter like normal. I'll give some insight between periods and talk about the game, but that's it. With how everything has evolved with my role in Fairbanks, I don't get an opportunity to sit in the stands with my wife much so we are going to enjoy this trip this weekend, regardless of the outcome.

Go 'Nooks!

Interview with Coach Ferguson

2015-12-03T06:00:00.000-09:00

So a lot is going on. The Nanooks are coming off a weekend at home getting swept by Michigan Tech. And coming into another home series against Lake Superior State in the final home series of the calendar year.

I had a chance to sit down and talk with Coach Ferguson and discuss some of the things coming out of last weekend as we look ahead.

Preview With a Mix of Recap - A PreCap. If You Will

2015-11-27T01:43:00.000-09:00

The Nanooks this season are off to similar starts as their past seasons in conference play. When you look at the first eight conference games...

2015-2016: 2-4-2
2014-2015: 2-6-0
2013-2014: 2-6-0
2012-2013: 4-3-1

Last year, which most consider the best year under Ferguson's tenure with 19 wins didn't start to have that feel until February, the beginning of a 9 conference game unbeaten streak. Early last season, similar woes on special teams frustrated the Nanooks on both sides...
A 6-1 loss at Bemidji State had several chances as the 'Nooks failed to convert on any of six power play chances, including a major. Or a 4-2 loss to Western Michigan, whose power play was essentially 2-for-5. They counted six on the stat sheet, but one only lasted for about 11 seconds.

Special teams this season is no exception. The Nanooks have allowed 13 goals out of 52 disadvantages, equating to an even 75% on the penalty kill. If the Nanooks had a 25% power play, things would balance out. But they don't. They have just 5 power play goals scored on the season in 44 chances. That's 11.4%. When you combine the numbers, 44/96, that's a 45.8% combined special teams percentage. 52nd in the nation.

But wait...

The tide shifted last season. The Nanooks had a 42.1% combined special teams on December 1st last season and poured it on to bring up the season cumulative to 51.9%, 21st in the country.

It's not time to hit any sort of panic button yet...

The last couple of weeks for the Nanooks was tough, no doubt about that. Two straight weeks on the road--15 days away from their own beds--is tough even for the most seasoned travelers. Let alone young men playing arguably the most physically strenuous sport there is. You can never be disappointed when taking points.

All in all, the Nanooks took 4 out of a possible 8 points on the road. A split at Bemidji, followed by back-to-back ties at Ferris State. The last time the Nanooks managed a winless/lossless series was at home against Northern Michigan on Thanksgiving weekend in 2009. A series in which the Nanooks held leads in both games, only to see NMU come back to tie it up.

Looking at the Bemidji series, the Nanooks started slow. Conversely, Bemidji started fast. 23 seconds in fact the Nanooks found themselves down in Jesse Jenks' second career start as Charlie O'Connor crashed the net with the rest of his linemates and found the back of the net. Add a power play goal allowed and the Nanooks now find themselves in an infamous 2-0 deficit. If you had to put this season thus far into one word though, its perseverance. They've battled it before and won, and this was no exception thanks to a hat trick from Brandon Morley.

Saturday, a similar story with a much different ending. Down 2-0 to the Beavers at the end of 1. The Nanooks battle to a 2-2 tie through 40 minutes. Then the flood gates open as the Beavers would score 4 goals on 9 shots in the 3rd to win 6-3. Not a great afternoon for the defense. Davis Jones played that game, but those goals aren't all on his shoulders either. Defensively, too many chances were surrendered, and they didn't miss.

After a week still out on the road, the Nanooks headed to Ferris State in Big Rapids. Now I've been around the program for the better part of a decade now. The number of games I've failed to watch or listen to live can be counted on one hand, but two of those were last weekend. Jesse Jenks played both games, and made 36 saves Friday and 39 saves on Saturday to earn two points. A goalie battle all weekend for sure as both teams racked 38 shots on Friday, and Ferris had a slight 42-37 edge on Saturday. And talk about a rink that's rough to play in on top of that...

But what about special teams? In 8 advantages for the Bulldogs to tally a goal, the Nanooks said no. And the Nanooks power play tallied a goal in the waning seconds of Saturday's game to earn the tie with under 42 seconds to play in regulation. Check out the Highlights for yourself. A nice goal for Huysmans down low on a possession play with the extra attacker. Good puck movement and control catches the Bulldogs out of position and gets them into scramble mode as the Nanooks work the puck to the slot. Tyler Morley had the initial chance but it came off his stick, but he nabs an assist as Huysmans didn't miss the wide open net.

Looking ahead, the Nanooks need points. No question about it. Sitting in 7th behind that community college down the Parks with 6 points leaves much to be desired. If you're looking for a breakout series, this could be it. Michigan Tech comes to town atop the conference (playing the most games of all teams, however) with 12 points and ranked 19th in the country at 7-4-1. I like the Huskies, they play fundamentally solid hockey. They're not really flashy, they just get it done,

Offensively, they have seven players with two or more goals, and a lights out defense backed by a senior goaltender who has racked up all of the minutes in Jamie Phillips. Solid numbers for him with a .910 save percentage and 2.47 goals against average.

When you look at the Huskies though, they're not running over anyone. Save for their regular season opening 5-1 drubbing of Ferris State, all of their wins have been by one or two goals. They're not an offensive juggernaut, nor a defensive powerhouse. They're a sound team that finds a way to win games. They're not that much different from the Nanooks in the way that they play, honestly. They're a very similar team that play similar styles.

Either way you look at this series going in, it's going to be a couple of good games. Both teams top 2 lines are pretty stout, and should see some good matchups going there on both sides of the puck.

The last time the Huskies came to Fairbanks, it was part of a two game road trip through the Thanksgiving holiday as MTU made the first stop in Anchorage for the meeting against the Seawolves before venturing north for the series Thanksgiving weekend here with the Nanooks. Two seasons later, they're back this weekend, and next weekend they return home to play UAA in Houghton. Interesting scheduling coincidence I suppose...

Anyway, it's now 2:00AM here. Time for some sleep before game day tomorrow.

Go 'Nooks!

If History Keeps Repeating Itself...

2015-11-05T23:26:00.000-09:00

The Nanooks should sweep this weekend, right? Swept, Sweep, Swept... SWEEP!

Next road series, let's worry about a split. But for now... Keep it rolling.

Last weekend at MSU was a bit of a mess. Friday wasn't as bad as the score made it seem. The Nanooks gave the Mavericks the opportunities they needed on special teams. MSU capitalized and cashed in. Saturday was a much better outing for the 'Nooks. They dictated the pace at points, but in the end they didn't have an answer for their defense.

Northern Michigan, as a team, doesn't look much different than MSU. Similar size, similar schemes. Let's take a closer look...

Looking at their roster, they are hoarding goaltenders. I'm amazed they're carrying five on their roster. Tolvanen has seen the vast majority of the ice this year. Dahlstrom, who returns as a junior this season has essentially been replaced by the Finnish freshman. The numbers tell the story. 1.99 goals against average, and a .942 save percentage over eight games for Tolvanen. That's pretty amazing.

The flipside is, Tolvanen is 2-2-3. That tells you that NMU is struggling to score. To some extent, they are. They have been shut out twice after all. But NMU has built their team around defense. And when you consider they've only given up more than three goals just once, that's pretty impressive. Looking at one of their two shutouts though, it was a 65 minute goal-less game against Bemidji State last week. Tolvanen had a 46 save shutout that night for NMU, who mustered 22 shots the other way in the tie.

Looking at the rest of their roster, their scoring comes from everywhere. 20 players have registered points this year. 12 players have scored the team's 19 goals this season. 10 of those 19 goals come from three players. John Seimer, Robbie Payne, and Darren Nowick. Seimer and Payne are both pretty aggressive grinders. They get to the dirty areas and will work for the puck. Watching Saturday's game with Bemidji, they play dump and chase and win. They're small, fast, and strong. A dangerous combination. Nowick was paired with senior Gerard Hanson--whose seven assists lead the team in points, despite having no goals to his credit--and they're getting off to a pretty great start themselves.

The Nanooks just need to get things going. Passes need to click, especially on the power play. This team is far too good to be 2-4-0 right now. I really like the line combinations that Dallas has put together. Ryker Leer with Tayler Munson and Marcus Basara seems to be jiving right now. The best line of the weekend in Mankato in my opinion. Krieger-T. Morley-Huysmans will keep other teams honest. Watching MSU press harder defensively when they were on the ice was quite apparent.

Stay out of the penalty box. The Nanooks are at the bottom of the country in PK percentage. Granted, there haven't been many chances just yet, but MSU was deadly on the power play last weekend. NMU has a slightly better average when you look at the numbers, but that doesn't really matter with the point I'm making here--which is quite simple. Don't give the opposing team any advantages.

A penalty here and there is bound to happen--especially in this league. But unnecessary penalties can sink the ship. Keep it floating...

This is going to be a good series. Northern and Alaska have always played each other well. The last couple years have gone the Nanooks' way. Let's see what this weekend's series has in store.

Go 'Nooks!

Bye Week Banter Into First WCHA Roadie to Mankato

2015-10-28T23:44:00.001-08:00

Having a bye week early is pretty nice. Getting four solid non-conference games against quality opponents followed by a chance to regroup, reassess, and work on problem areas is a good opportunity to take advantage of before jumping into conference play. And when your first opponent is last year's conference champion, you need that opportunity.

After mustering just one goal during the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage, the Nanooks surged with 11 goals in the Brice Alaska Goal Rush. Tayler Munson's emergence was a big part of that. Named the team's top athlete during pre-season training, the sophomore forward surged with back to back two goal games and added a couple of assists on top of that. Hands down the tournament MVP, but also turned into last week's 2nd star in all of NCAA hockey. All in all, the Saturday game against RPI was, in the words of assistant coach Corbin Schmidt, a good indicator of what the Nanooks are capable of.

Turning to the Mavericks, they've had a bit of an interesting start to their season as well. Starting off 0-4 with straight home losses to UNO and on the road at St. Cloud. Mankato managed 2 goals in the first game against the UNO Mavericks, but didn't score another goal until their WCHA opener vs Bemidji. 195 and 23 seconds straight, 3 whole games plus 15:23 without scoring a goal. Quite odd considering they averaged over 3 goals scored per game last year.

And yes, Gervais, Blueger, Stepan, and Nelson are all still there this year.

The Minnesota boys in purple may have made a turn for the better with a pair of 3-2 wins over Bemidji on the road, but it remains to be seen how they can follow that up returning home. Cole Huggins has played the majority of the minutes between the pipes, but freshman Jason Pawloski took to the crease for one of the games against Bemidji, allowing 2 goals on 20 shots.

I wasn't able to watch that game live as I was in Dillingham for work. But watching the game on demand on WCHA.tv, the Mavericks are taking advantage of opportunities. Saturday's 3 goals came on 2 power plays (set up quite well, I might add), and a defensive lapse given up to Zach Stepan, arguably one of their best forwards for a breakaway goal. Friday was even worse on Bemidji's part, allowing two shorthanded goals. The Mavericks don't screw around on the PK either though, head coach Mike Hastings preaches pressure. The puck carrier is allowed ZERO room, and both were forced turnovers. Teddy Blueger's shorthanded game winner was a thing of beauty too, deflecting a pass at the half wall intended for the defenseman, who was completely caught off guard and found himself immediately 3 strides behind going up the ice.

Moral of the story though, DON'T GIVE THEM CHANCES. Stay out of the box, and make smart plays with the puck. The Mavericks scored just one goal 5 on 5 against Bemidji, and just two 5 on 5 goals all season thus far. If the Nanooks can stay out of the box again this weekend, they'll be in good shape to set up for success. Defensively, the Nanooks have to contain. Watch for Mankato to reverse direction to open up the back side. Defensemen, keep the Mavericks in front of you. And help out your goaltender. Keep the pucks out of the slot, and stay true to blocking passing and shooting lanes.

Offensively, it's up to the 'Nooks to execute. Create chances in transition, and set up 2nd and 3rd chances in close with guys crashing the net. Keep their defenseman chasing, and capitalize. Finish Finish FINISH.

OK, I'm hyped for the game. It's almost midnight. I need to try to sleep now...

Nanooks Swept at Kendall Classic for First Time, Fall to ASU 2-1

2015-10-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

A much better start for Alaska today. The Sun Devils are not a slouch team by any means. They had some chances to get something going, but the Nanooks had possession on lock down. Davis Jones was barely touched, and at the end of the 1st, there was still fresh ice patches in the Nanooks end.

The goal in the first was a thing of beauty. Jack Weiss hustles to the boards to keep in a clearing attempt after Huysmans made a nice play in front of the net to begin the sequence. Weiss passed down low to Krieger who made his way below the goal line. As all of the defenseman cleared the slot to pressure the puck carrier, Krieger caught Tyler Morley virtually alone to the net coming down. Morley put it on the backhand and buried over the pad of Pashovitz to begin the scoring.

But after that, it seemed ASU got things figured out and started to put pressure on the Nanooks in the neutral zone and slow down the transition. The Nanooks plan for a speedy attack was drained. The worst part was as the game slowed down, ASU got the pace up and forced the Nanooks into more mistakes. Everything that was working in the first went by the wayside.

It was unfortunate, but in the end the Nanooks sealed their fate with two unfortunate turnovers. The timing of the last one, with 34 seconds to play in the 3rd, was just frustrating. The Hockey Gods didn't bless the Nanooks tonight, if you will...

Alaska did have lots of elements of the game that they could control. The first being special teams. When you get extended power play time--over 3 minutes of 4 on 3, 5 on 3, and 5 on 4 advantages amidst the major and a couple of minors--you have to take advantage. Otherwise just the PK is a huge momentum swing in the other direction. And that's exactly what happened... Secondly, not trusting your defenders. Too many forwards I watched tonight tried to stick handle rather than trust their defenseman. That exact thought is what doomed the Nanooks tonight. Both goals were off turnovers by Nanook forwards. As the game wears on, the Sun Devils figured that out and started leaving the points open. Then it was 3 on 5 in the offensive zone for the majority of the 2nd and 3rd periods.

It's hard for me to look at positives in these situations, but there are a few. One was Jack Weiss. The Freshman looks like he's a Junior on the blue line. Smooth, makes plays with his feet and makes smart decisions. What a find he turned out to be for the coaching staff.

Secondly, was improvement. The guys knew they didn't get a good start on Friday. Coming out of the gate fast and setting the pace was paramount tonight. And they did that. The 'Nooks couldn't keep it going, but judging by the first period alone, the assumption that the 'Nooks would steamroll the Sun Devils would have been justified. But they did earn their victory tonight.

Next week, the Nanooks open their regular season at home as the hosts of the Brice Alaska Goal Rush. Alaska and UAA will each meet American International College, as well as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

GAME DAY - Game 2 at the Kendall Classic against Arizona State

2015-10-10T15:12:00.002-08:00

Game Day

Alaska Nanooks (WCHA, 0-1-0) vs Arizona State Sun Devils (Ind., 0-1-0)

4:07PM AKST - Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, AK

Live Stats: CollegeHockeyStats.net | Live Audio: 820 Sports 820AM

Live Internet Video: WCHA TV

Twitter: @NanookHockey

Obviously a tough night last night, especially for the defensive guys. Koberstein and Burns had some bright spots, but there's a lot to learn and improve upon. Both of them will sit out tonight as Nick Hinz will step in on the line with Zach Frye. Rookie Jack Weiss will get his first action tonight as well, paired with Josh Atkinson.

Up front, just one change as Chad Staley--a guy I was impressed with during Blue/Gold--will see his first game action of the regular season as well tonight at center. That addition will move Josh Erickson to the left wing on the line with Hajdukovich, where he was centering last night. Ryker Leer will be the only rookie skater from the lineup last night to return for game two.

Davis Jones returns between the pipes. Deservedly so, as I said in my recap last night, the junior net minder kept the game within reach.

With last night's late game results, St. Cloud and UAA will play for the championship later tonight. Both Alaska and ASU are out of the running. The Sun Devils didn't look bad last night. A bit slow, but competitive. If I didn't know any better, I would have been surprised that they were a club team last season...

Lines tonight for Alaska

F1 Peter Krieger - Tyler Morley - Nolan Huysmans
F2 Ryker Leer - Tayler Munson - Marcus Basara

F3 Brandon Morley - Colton Sparrow - Austin Vieth

F4 Josh Erickson - Chad Staley - Alec Hajdukovich

D1 Josh Atkinson - Jack Weiss
D2 Zach Frye - Nick Hinz

D3 Justin Woods - J.D. Peterson

G1 Davis Jones

G2 Jesse Jenks

G3 John Keeney

Huskies Blank Alaska 3-0 in Kendall Classic Opener

2015-10-09T19:54:00.001-08:00

Nanooks had a bit of a slow start. A bit undisciplined with 4 straight power plays surrendered to the Huskies. After surrendering two quick goals, the guys finally got it going. The early goal was a botched clearing attempt. Really an unlucky break as a Nanook defenseman went for a breakout and surrendered it to Ethan Prow. A quick play to David Morley up the gut who took the first shot on goal. Jones made the save but Benik cashed in the rebound.

The second goal actually frustrates me a bit. Jones made the save, and looked as if he had frozen the puck. The whistle hadn't blew, and SCSU took some swings at him and the puck went in. The goal was credited to Winiecki, but I believe they will change that later. I think Jacob Benson will get credit, but anyway. Sucks to see that get started that way.

The Nanooks got it going in the second period, but failed to capitalize on the opportunities. Lots of positives on the special teams units. The power play had some great chances, but ultimately came up empty. The Huskies would bag another goal in the 3rd on another unfortunate bounce for Alaska. A simple play behind the net for St. Cloud as Jones made the save, but the puck trickled through his grasp and lay in the crease for what seemed like an eternity before a St. Cloud forward could poke it in.

St. Cloud deserves a lot of credit though. They are a good team. They play with a lot of pace and make a lot of plays in motion. The Nanooks just didn't have an answer today. The styles are not too dissimilar, but St. Cloud just executed - and very well.

Davis Jones had one hell of a game too. Despite the unlucky break in the 3rd, he still had 27 saves. And it could have been a lot worse. A LOT worse. Ferguson echoed the same sentiments in the post game interview.

A lot of things to consider going into tomorrow's final game against Arizona State.

GAME DAY - Kendall Hockey Classic - Alaska vs St. Cloud State

2015-10-09T15:58:00.001-08:00

Game Day

Alaska Nanooks (WCHA, 0-0-0) vs St. Cloud State Huskies (NCHC, 0-0-0)

4:07PM AKST - Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, AK

Live Stats: CollegeHockeyStats.net | Live Audio: 820 Sports 820AM

Live Internet Video: WCHA TV

Twitter: @NanookHockey

This is going to be a great game tonight. It's honestly the one I'm most excited for this weekend. The line chart looks solid for the 'Nooks. Rookies intermixed with the upperclassmen. Should be a good show. Big test right out of the gates, that's for sure.

For St. Cloud, I expect a physical team. They're dressing 5 freshman in the lineup tonight - two forwards and three defensemen. On the line chart, none of them are paired together either. Their captain Ethan Prow is a bit of a playmaker too. 61 career points coming into his senior season this year. Had a few points in last week's exhibition as well.

Charlie Lindgren looks to make the start between the pipes for the Huskies. The senior has a 2.28 career goals against average and a record of 21-20-2. 19 of those wins came last season in his first year starting. At 6'2", he's a force. From what I've seen in a few highlights, a strong presence and aggressive in the crease. Should be a good challenge for the 'Nooks to crack.

Nan's lines tonight, like I mentioned, look pretty stacked. I love the defensive pairings, getting Jordan Burns and Nik Koberstein into the lineup. Ryker Leer and John Mullally are solid forwards to contribute too. This will be a great test for them too if they get a log of ice time.

F1 Ryker Leer - Tayler Munson - Marcus Basara

F2 Brandon Morley - Colton Sparrow - Austin Vieth

F3 Peter Krieger - Tyler Morley - Nolan Huysmans

F4 John Mullally - Josh Erickson - Alec Hajdukovich

D1 Josh Atkinson - Jordan Burns

D2 Justin Woods - J.D. Peterson

D3 Zach Frye - Nikolas Koberstein

G1 Davis Jones

G2 Jesse Jenks

G3 John Keeney

Thursday Night Rumblings

2015-10-08T23:19:00.003-08:00

Parayko looked good in his first real action in a Blues sweater. He got a lot of ice time in all three phases, took couple of shots (both at the puck, and at some opposing players...). Good to see... I'm very happy for him. Like Kunyk jumping straight into NHL action, I hope its not TOO soon. But getting the stint in the AHL last season to get a glimpse at the pro life before coming into camp this year was probably great for him. He is even more beastly than he was during his time here.

On to the Kendall, I'm headed to Anchorage in the morning. Pretty confident in our guys, hoping they can step up and get it done against SCSU. Not that we played poorly in the exhibition, but I would like to see more of a defensive effort. Allowing 37 shots to SCSU isn't going to yield 0 goals against. 'Nooks need to maintain possession, keep it moving, and make smart passes. Dump and chase is necessary at times, but if the guys can get on it and make quick transitions, I don't think SCSU can skate with us... I'm curious to see who gets the first shot between the pipes. I think all three of our goaltenders look really good. Keeney had some seriously glorious moments last week in that 3rd period. Jenks was tested a bit too with guys getting in his face and cutting his visibility. But I still think its Davis' job to lose. Decisions like these though make my glad I'm not the coach..

No idea what to think of ASU yet, obviously sticking around for the Friday night game though between them and UAA so I'll have at least some idea for Saturday. A lot of transfers from other schools, but not sure how many of them are eligible or not...

Bold predictions here....

Friday 3-2 Win
Saturday 4-1 Win

We shall see..

Go 'Nooks!

Nanooks Conquer Mt. Royal 4-0

2015-10-04T23:23:00.003-08:00

Nolan Huysmans with a close chance

Mt. Royal is a lot better than I think a lot of people realized. Granted, neither team could get a lot of passes through, but a close hockey game. The Cougars are probably the toughest CIS matchup the Nanooks have faced since I've been around the program. I can't recall a team that kept the Nanooks out of their element for such extended periods of time. They outshot the 'Nooks pretty badly, 21-12 at one point, but the perseverance paid off.

Mt. Royal had two goals overturned by the end of the 2nd period. The first was an easy call, distinct kicking motion into Jones' pads. The second, they called goalie interference. Specifically that the goalie's process to make a save was interfered with. AKA a guy was chilling in the crease for no reason except to disrupt vision. But he got a little too close.

Tyler Morley bags goal number 3 for the 'Nooks.

The Nanooks goal was a squeaker from Ryker Leer. Goalie never saw it sneak inside the far post. But with under 3 seconds to play in the 1st period on the power play, it was well timed at least. Peter Krieger would wrist in goal number two early into the 3rd period off a flip from Nolan Huysmans. Not too much later, Tyler Morley capitalized on a similar play from Peter Krieger as this line continued to click all night long. The Cougars pulled their goalie with about 3 minutes to play, but Josh Erickson's shark-like nose smelled the blood in the water and really pushed hard to force the turnover and get back down the ice and bury the empty-netter.

After last week's Blue/Gold, I was pretty anxious to see how the rookies would get along with the upper classmen on the ice. I got some of that sense last week, but with all of them on one bench seeing the shakeups throughout the night was great. John Mullally will be a good dynamic forward. A lot of speed, good skills, and not afraid to get a bit physical. Ryker Leer has some great composure and patience, but it comes off as hesitation sometimes and there's not nearly as much space or time at this level to wait around. I wouldn't call that a mistake so to speak, but an observation throughout the evening that I found myself waiting for him to do something.

Things got a bit chippy at times.

Chad Staley--this kid can play. Doesn't have a lot of size, but in almost Datsyukian-fashion he had a rush 1 on 3 in the 2nd period and he deked out all but the last defender. One of those moments you wish would have paid off, especially as a player. Hope to see more of that.

Peter Krieger with the nice hand-eye coordination.

Defensively, the 'Nooks look solid. Obviously losing a guy like Parayko hurts. But the team is going to have to fill that void collectively. Two guys suiting up this year by the names of Jordan Burns and Nik Koberstein are equipped to do just that. As the season wears on, we'll see more of their offensive sides develop at this level but both guys should be solid contributors. Great to see J.D. Peterson doing so well too. With the work he's put in, he's got the ability to been a great shut down defender for the team.

For the goalies, each played a period tonight. Par for the course. Jones was tested a bit more as the Cougars got the better start. Technically neither goalie allowed a goal. Jenks looked good too, composed in the crease, doesn't over-commit. Keeney looked great too. A lot of juicy rebounds left out there, but he had a LOT of really good saves too, including a Class A Robbery on a back door feed. Not going to be easy picking a starter for the Anchorage tournament, that's for sure.

All that said, Mt. Royal was a good challenge. But it's a short week for the guys and St. Cloud, a pre-season top 20 team looms around the corner. Let the season begin!

All of the photos here are courtesy of MMF Photography. Check out the full gallery of photos at his SmugMug page!

GAME DAY - Exhibition vs. Mount Royal

2015-10-04T10:34:00.002-08:00

Game Day

Alaska Nanooks (0-0-0) vs Mt. Royal University (CIS Canada West, 0-0-0)

3:07PM AKST - Carlson Center, Fairbanks, AK

Live Stats: CollegeHockeyStats.net | Live Audio: NONE

Live Internet Video: WCHA TV

Twitter: @NanookHockey

After holding UAA to 13 shots on goal, and 0 goals the Mt. Royal Cougars look to extend their Alaskan domination north to Fairbanks. We'll see about that. Some of the Anchorage fan base is already imploding on themselves. It's pretty humorous considering that this was just an exhibition game against a decent team with a good mix of Canadian Junior A and Major Junior players. Not too dissimilar to an NCAA squad in terms of size and skill.

For the 'Nooks, the line combinations are going to be the story of the day as the new freshman get their first action in a real game situation as they look to develop chemistry with the upper-classmen. Here's my first stab at what I think we'll see in that department:

Peter Krieger-Tyler Morley-Marcus Basara

Brandon Morley-Austin Vieth-Nolan Huysmans

John Mullally-Tayler Munson-Alec Hajdukovich

Ryker Leer-Colton Sparrow-Josh Erickson

Jasen Fernsler -- Chad Staley

Josh Atkinson - J.D. Peterson

Zach Frye - Nikolas Koberstein

Justin Woods - Nick Hinz

Jordan Burns - Jack Weiss

Kyle Froese (injured)

Davis Jones

John Keeney

Jesse Jenks

If these were the lineups to begin tonight (and they're not, this is just my stab), we would see this change multiple times throughout the night. Just based on my looks at the Blue/Gold game, John Mullally could be a great forward dynamic and will probably float between the top 3 lines as a fresh face in the mix. Ryker Leer could have a similar impact. With Jared Linnell's departure, that leaves just two extra forwards. But everyone has a shot at playing time. Today will be their first shot to prove that they belong in the lineup.

Of note, there will not be any live audio from today's exhibition. Bruce Cech will not be in the arena. No radio coverage, and no play by play on the WCHA.tv feed. You'll just have to be entertained by V-MAX and myself over the arena PA.

Hope to see the fans fill the rink this afternoon. Sunday game is a bit different, but mid-afternoon should everyone home before dinnertime. Go 'Nooks!

Blue/Gold Gives Glimpse of Things to Come

2015-09-30T23:17:00.000-08:00

I have to say, the new media guy at the athletic department--Chris Caskey for those that don't know--is pretty stellar. I'm going to cut the corners of the recap and let him have those honors...

But what a scrimmage. Pretty close despite a 2-0 final score. All three goalies looked pretty good. Both goals were scored on Keeney, but he settled down afterwards and made some good saves. Both goals though were great individual efforts, but Keeney wanted the goal from Huysmans back... A bit of a breakaway, and a great shot to sneak it inside the right goal post over Keeney's shoulder--a shot from the opposite side.

But Nolan Huysmans came back to play. He's back with some serious speed and skill. You can tell he's put a lot of time in to boost his game... Same with Peter Krieger. I expected more from the USHL scoring stud last season, but he lacked some speed. Certainly has the skill, but now he's got some more speed to go with it. Early prediction - Peter Krieger-Tyler Morley-Nolan Huysmans is the top line going into the season. If Dallas sees this though, he might change it to spite me (or balance out other lines...), but those three together--even if just on the power play--could be scary good.

What a return for Justin Woods too. As soon as his name was announced, the Fairbanks native was greeted with a rousing ovation. Touching, really. Shows how much this community really cares for its own.

As far as the recruits go, John Mullally is the real deal. Truth be told, I haven't had a lot of time to dig into the research on these guys to see how they would play. And during the scrimmage with all that was going on for me in the box, note taking was at a minimum as well. But Mullally really stood out, not just because of his goal (which was a good shot from just inside the circle) but because of his presence. He has some of that Cody Kunyk-esque flair for seeing the ice. I made that comparison a couple of times throughout the evening. Ryker Leer also struck a few chords with grit and tenacity. Jesse Jenks looks quite good between the pipes too, but I think it's David Jones' job to lose at this point.

But I bet all three of the tendys will see some action this Sunday, athe boys get to beat up on someone other than themselves hopefully.

Mt. Royal University out of Calgary, Alberta is a very large school. Just shy of 40 thousand enrolled students, they've got some great resources as an educational institution. Working for UAF myself, I find that I take a lot of the things UAF has to offer for granted. Mt. Royal's Bisset School of Business is highly regarded, as is their aviation program. However, they do not offer any graduate level programs.

On the ice thus far, they're just coming off a two-game exhibition series against the familiar Northern Alberta Institute of Technology including a 5-4 OT win, and a 8-4 loss. From what I can tell, they play with speed and have some tenacity. Looks like defense is lacking a bit, but they can score goals.

The Cougars take on the Seapups in Soldotna (of all places) on Friday. Saturday, Mt Royal will spend all day on a bus to make it up here for Sunday. Should make for some fresh legs... Be sure to check for the game on the new WCHA.tv. I just got my subscription for the year, I'm pretty excited to see how it turns out.

I heard the video quality from the Blue/Gold game was good, but the audio feed was not. Trust me, even the crowd at the game couldn't even understand the PA for most of the night. Talking to Bruce Cech, they didn't have a direct line from him over to the media table either, so they relied on some short run FM transmitters to make it happen. It worked, but not incredibly well. The Carlson Center is of course much better equipped. I imagine it may take some time on Sunday to get things sorted out with the new provider, but the techies do a good job getting those kinks straightened.

I'm quite ready for the season though. Amped even. GO 'NOOKS

The Boys Are Back - Welcome to 2015-2016 Nanook Hockey

2015-09-26T11:50:00.001-08:00

Well, that was a long hiatus. I hate coming here and not finding anything new to read. But I suppose that's my own fault. The good news is though, hockey is here and so is the blog! You may notice the new theme - while last years theme was nice and customizable for the readers, I felt it was too... blah. So new year, new design.

It's been a long time coming...

The summer was great, but the snow is here and its time to get things rolling. In fact, tonight is the annual Face Off Club Blue/Gold Scrimmage. Some big changes are afoot this year. First off, at the Carlson Center, the news spread like wildfire that the entire west side of the building--both upper and lower sections--will allow beer and wine in your seats. As the athletic department was in a renegotiation year with the Borough and SMG for its use of the Carlson Center for hockey, the topic came up and is actually going to end up saving the athletic department money. The department will not directly receive the revenue of the sale of alcohol--doing so would require a lot more paperwork--the Carlson Center will be deducting the nightly lease rate each weekend by the total volume in alcohol sales dollar-for-dollar. And this isn't going to be just your typical run-of-the-mill domestic beers and wines, the Carlson Center will feature microbrews from Alaska and other breweries around the country on a rotating basis, as well as select wines from popular vineyards including Bear Creek. The food situation is changing around this as a result too. There will be a "Beer and Brats" corner where the Nachos place was last year, the Nachos will move back to where they were. The former beer garden on ice level will become a bit of a food court for fans to get food when they come in the door before they go to their seats. Should improve a lot of the timing issues fans had last year.

There is also the addition of a box seat section on the north wall of the building below the alumni banners at ice level, which will offer full bar service, and a dedicated wait staff. Money raised from the box seat sales will go to the Nanook Hockey Alumni and their fundraising efforts for the team.

Also of major note, the WCHA as a league changed vendors for WCHA.tv (THANK YOU!), going away from AmericaOne/Eversport and instead going with Stretch Internet. Having used Stretch before for some of the other Nanook sports, they're very stable and a good quality stream. I have not seen a High Definition feed through Stretch at this point yet, so I hope the quality there is up to snuff for what the league promised its members two years ago when the schools were required to purchase an exorbitant list of high dollar camera and production equipment. The best news about this though is the service is a bit cheaper. Not quite as cheap as NCHC, but you also get the ability two watch up to four games simultaneously. Along with seamless game switching and full on-demand. You can buy a single game for $7.99, or an all-day pass for all WCHA games for $9.99. There are season passes to follow your team for $89.99/year, or a league season pass for $129.99/year that covers all league games, as well as non-conference home games and postseason for all WCHA teams.

The Athletic Department will use Stretch for the Blue/Gold Scrimmage tonight for free from the Patty Ice Arena. Understand ahead of time that this will not be fully indicative of the quality as the equipment at the Patty is not on par by any stretch of the imagination to the equipment at the Carlson Center.

As for the Blue/Gold Game itself, it starts at 7:07PM, doors open at 6:00PM. $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12-under, or $30 for a family of 4 or more.

Image courtesy Chris Caskey, alaskananooks.com

There you have it, folks. This season's captains headed up by senior forward Tyler Morley. A guy that needs no introduction, but finished last season with a career high 37 points throughout the season, as well 33 points in WCHA action--second best in the league.

Alec Hajdukovich, also entering his senior season developed into a force to be reckoned with as the season progressed last year. The setup that Duke served to Josh Erickson last season for the game winning goal of the final game last season against Anchorage still counts as one of my favorite plays of the season. It wasn't intentional--a puck intelligently chipped from the boards to the front of the net find's the stick of Erickson for the goal. Plays like that are what it takes to win in this league.

J.D. Peterson has returned to the team this year as a ripped monster. Every year, Mike Curtin--perhaps better known as MC--puts the guys through a gauntlet of strength and conditioning tests at the beginning of each season. The final test is a group of three max lifts--bench press, power clean, and squat. All three must be done within two hours of the first. The score is the combined weight which determines the annual strong man award. In 2003, Kelly Czuy set the program record at 1,001 lbs. J.D. tied that record. He means business for his final year in a Nanook sweater.

The final alternate is the only non-senior of the bunch. Sophomore Zach Frye returns this season with the hope to step up the offensive side of his game to help close the gap left by departing NHLer Colton Parayko (watch for him to make the Blues roster this season). Zach was the captain of the Lincoln Stars in his final year of USHL action before joining the Nanooks last season. His leadership role off the ice and in the classroom is apparent. Zach posted a 4.0 GPA his first semester and made the UAF Chancellor's honor list.

The team's first full practice this week was full of energy. The team had some jump in their step and fundamentals appeared a bit more solid than I remember from years past. Passing was pretty on point, and the coaching staff was already working the team through situational drills by the end of the first hour. I didn't stay for the whole duration, but all appeared to be running well. Notably absent though was Shawn Hochhausen. The would-be Junior skated in every game for the Nanooks last year. Not sure what prevented him from coming back this season. Also departing was Jared Linnell, & Matt Friese, who I had heard left on their own terms. Matt Friese got married this summer. But I haven't heard what Jared is up to.

The goaltending situation this season is bound to see some change. Last season, time was nearly evenly split between Sean Cahill and Davis Jones. Cahill posted the better numbers while Jones technically had a slightly better record. With Cahill graduating (with honors, mind you) that leaves some big time to fill. Jones looked like he was getting the starters reps in practice, although John Keeney looks sharp as well. Jesse Jenks, the incoming freshman the coaches have praised, has the size and poise to compete for the job as well. Will there be a perennial starter?

Look for the first real report tomorrow as we get to break down the teams first look at real "game action" in the scrimmage tonight. Of course I intend for all of you to attend or watch from home if you're out of town. Certainly comment here with how well the Stretch stream works. I hope it runs smoothly! Your's truly will be the on-ice PA announcer again this year. It's time for some fun!

Go 'Nooks!

2015-2016 Alaska Nanooks Roster
(by class)

Freshmen (8)
2 Jack Weiss, D (Rio Grande Valley-NAHL)
4 Jordan Burns, D (Salmon Arm-BCHL)
5 Nikolas Koberstein (MTL, 2014 5th Rd.), D (Bloominton-USHL)
18 John Mullally, LW (Whitecourt-AJHL)
23 Ryker Leer, LW (Camrose-AJHL)
25 Chad Staley, C (Prince George-BCHL)
26 Jasen Fernsler, C (Topeka-NAHL)
29 Jesse Jenks, G (Prince George-BCHL)

Sophomores (7)
6 (A) Zach Frye, D (Lincoln-USHL)
12 Nick Hinz, D (Fairbanks-NAHL)
13 Austin Vieth, C/LW (Waterloo-USHL)
16 Tayler Munson, C/RW (Fairbanks-NAHL)
17 Kyle Froese, D (Corpus Christi-NAHL)
20 Peter Krieger, C/LW (Waterloo-USHL)
28 Colton Sparrow, C/LW (Vernon-BCHL)

Juniors (5)
7 Josh Erickson, LW (Sioux City-USHL)
8 Justin Woods, D (Fairbanks-NAHL, Lincoln-USHL)
9 Marcus Basara, RW (West Kelowna-BCHL)
14 Brandon Morley, LW (Coquitlam-BCHL)
30 Davis Jones, G (Nipawin-SJHL)

Seniors (6)
10 (A) J.D. Peterson, D (Communication)
11 (A) Alec Hajdukovich, RW (Business Administration)
22 Josh Atkinson, D (Finance, Accounting)
24 Nolan Huysmans, RW (Business Administration)
27 (C) Tyler Morley, C (Business Administration)
39 John Keeney, G (Business Administration

Nanooks Sweep, Bring Home Governor's Cup for 6th Straight Time

2015-03-08T00:56:00.001-09:00

What a weekend. So incredibly proud of the guys for overcoming adversity, coming into Anchorage down 2-0 in the series and getting a sweep in their barn and a shootout win to keep the hardware where it belongs.

Game 2 was incredibly fun to watch tonight as the Nanooks dropped the hammer and set the tone in the 1st period, outshooting the Seawolves 20-5 in the first stanza. But with nothing to show for it on the scoreboard, it remained a one shot game into the second period.

Zach Frye was confined to the penalty box for the first 1:57 of the second due to a checking from behind minor in front of the Nanook net. A good penalty in my mind as the Seawolves would have had a 2 on 0 opportunity after forcing a turnover on the forecheck. The Nanooks were holding the Seawolves power play at bay when Brandon Morley made a great play to chip the puck out of the zone. He got the first read on it and made a B-Line (see what I did there...) to the offensive zone to retrieve it. He collected it behind the goal line and found Tayler Munson to break the scoreless tie whilst shorthanded.

Just over a minute later, Krieger won the draw over to Munson after he got waved out of the faceoff circle. Got the puck over to the far side point to Trevor Campbell who made a nice read of the traffic in front and sent the puck through which took a fortunate bounce off the skate of UAA forward Blake Lease before finding the twine.

The 3rd Nanooks goal tonight is probably my favorite of the weekend. With about 5 and a half to play in the 2nd, Alec Hajdukovich goes on a forechecking rampage. He picked off an outlet pass on the breakout, and then forced another turnover before making a nice feed to Erickson who realizes he has time in the slot and rips it home top shelf, all they up by the Thin Mints. Up 3-rip at this point, things were looking pretty good for the guys in blue. Cahill had some seriously good saves this weekend. Including a snaring glove on a desperation jump to close the back door on a chance by Cameron in the 2nd.

But UAA would finally crack the scoreless draught 95 minutes and 43 seconds into this weekend series. Tad Kozun would be the benefactor of being in the right place at the right time, collecting a rebound off of an Austin Azurdia shot to put UAA on the board for the first time of the weekend.

Then Azurdia would make things a bit interesting as he took a shot from the weirdest angle and find its way in. I didn't see the shot from about 140 feet away amidst all the bodies, but it definitely went in.

The Seawolves tried to keep coming too, but the Nanooks stymied nearly every entry attempt, and picked off several passes in the latter stages of the 3rd period to not even give them a sniff at the goal as the clock expired.

But the Governor's Cup is still to be determined by the ensuing shootout. A feat which has now occurred 7 times in the history of the trophy. The Seawolves used their advantage to shoot first, which Tad Kozun rang off the left goal post. Tyler Morley cashed in on a great deke past Mantha for ultimately the championship winner as Cahill came up big on the final two shooters, including senior Scott Allen who had to score to keep it going, which Cahill promptly denied as the festivities ensued. Including Colton Parayko charging his own goaltender. Feet came off the ice, by all accounts a 5 minute major. But instead he'll hoist the Governor's Cup for the 6th straight time.

This weekend marks the first time the Nanooks have swept the Seawolves in Anchorage as far back as the history books online allow me to search, also yesterday was the first time in 10 years the Nanooks have shutout the Seawolves in their barn.

To our seniors, thank you immensely for leading this team through the season. With the sanctions, it would have been very easy to write this season off with nothing to play for. But you didn't. Through all of the ups and downs, you guys lead this team to an 8 game unbeaten streak, the longest in the entire country to close out the season and end your careers. Playoffs or not, you're leaving as champions.

To Colton Parayko, please stay. If the Blues call and you head to the show, I won't be upset. But I can only imagine what next year holds with you still patrolling the 'Nooks blue line.

And to my wife, thank you so much for this trip. Best birthday present a guy can ask for.

I will post some of the amazing photos I've seen tomorrow, and will be taking a few weeks hiatus before my final write up of the season.

From the runway in Fairbanks, GO 'NOOKS!

Fox 7 and Alumni Game

2015-03-07T09:31:00.001-09:00

For those that didn't see my Tweet last night, GCI is having some apparent issues in their broadcast studio in Anchorage. As a result, they are unable to feed the game live to Fairbanks so Fox 7 is tape delaying the game tonight at 10PM.

Also, the UAF/UAA Alumni game will be played today at 2PM at Sullivan Arena. Free to watch, free to park. Should be a fun time swing old faces play some puck. This game rotates every year, so next year the bout will return to Fairbanks. I don't recall who won last year, but I do recall broken glass and a shootout. So there's that.

Nanooks End Seawolves Playoff Hopes with 1-0 Victory

2015-03-06T20:05:00.001-09:00

Nanooks came out of the gates on fire, but Tad Kozun came out swinging. Literally. 8 seconds into the game he sits for a high sticking minor putting a stick up into the cage of Perry. Nothing came of the advantage but it set the tone for the Nanooks and the pace for the rest of the season. Retribution was paid though, legally as Perry put him into the bench.

Penalties abounded though, but mostly bad ones in the offensive zone. I thought Munson had a goal, but he rang the pipe. As the penalty expired though, Krieger redirection off a Campbell pass made it through and Munson buried the rebound for the first goal of the game.

The second period had its fair share of pleasantries as intensity continued to build. Culminating with an unfortunate hit at the hands of Hochhausen on who I thought was Anthony Conti. Might have been Kozun on second thought. Hochhausen was committed to the hit, but the UAA player turned into the boards and Hochhausen didn't let up. Unfortunate timing, but he got the gate on a major and misconduct which left about 4 and a half minutes of power play time into the 3rd period.

The penalty kill continued to be outstanding for the Nanooks tonight into the 3rd period. Colton Parayko and the rest of the bench thought he had a shorthanded goal until the official who is right on top of the play waved off the goal because Brandon Morley was offside by a good 30 feet. The strong UAF contingent in the crowd disagreed, but it was a good call. Regardless, the fact that Parayko sent the shot from the center line and it went in, was impressive. Goalie got bailed out a bit there.

Seawolves brought the heat in the 3rd period, I'll give them that. Including a shot off the crossbar but Cahill was up to the task.

Great win tonight for the Nanooks as they've officially ended UAA's hopes at a playoff berth. Last year, these same two teams played the first round in Fairbanks and now both teams don't qualify. Only one of them by merit, though. Tomorrow, the Nanooks need a win and a shootout win to take the Governor's cup back home to Fairbanks. Go get it, boys.

Game Day - Governor's Cup Thoughts

2015-03-06T11:50:00.004-09:00

Regardless of the outcome this weekend, the Nanooks season ends after the final buzzer on Saturday night. Last season, these same two teams skated a brutal 5-games straight in Fairbanks as last year's Junior class watched their season end on home ice at the hands of their most bitter rivals. The struggle continued earlier this spring when the Seawolves won another two straight games again at the Carlson Center, giving them quite the advantage in the Governor's cup going into the final two game series as we close the season.

Flip the table around, the Nanooks now have the upper hand despite the current series record. The boys in Blue and Gold have the chance to keep ACC on the couch for playoffs themselves as the Seawolves currently sit in last place by 3 points, the only position this season that will be disqualified from playoff contention. If the Nanooks can win just one game this weekend, ACC sits at home too.

The Seapups are 1-9-0 in their last 10 games, being outscored a walloping 43-20 in that stretch. Which includes the 10-0 embarrassment at the hands of the MTU Huskies in the confines of the Sullivan arena. Prior to last week's upset over Bowling Green, the Seawolves last win(s) were in Fairbanks a midst a tough stretch for the Nanooks. Currently riding a 6 game unbeaten streak, and along side North Dakota as the only teams in college hockey to go undefeated in February, things are looking different from mid January.

But, there is still a trophy on the line here. And with nothing to lose, this is the Nanooks playoffs this weekend. This is the trophy they're striving for. And with all of the other NCAA noise that shrouds this season, this is what matters. Two wins and a skills competition later, another blue plaque gets put on that cup and our seniors get to raise the cup on Sullivan ice and graduate winners. Time to buck up and get it done, boys.

Both games this weekend are broadcast live in Fairbanks on Fox channel 7 so those of you not making the trek south are taken care of. I'm on the afternoon flight down with several others today. I've heard from quite a few people making the trip as well, should be a fun weekend.

Despite the age of this video, it still gets me pumped up. The guy who made this can't get enough credit. Thanks TB! Hopefully we can get another one this year...

Nanooks Triumph Over Adversity, Sweep Alabama-Huntsville

2015-03-02T19:28:00.000-09:00

This weekend was an interesting road series in Huntsville, Alabama taking on the UAH Chargers for the second series of the season. A bit of a homecoming of sorts as well for former Charger and Nanooks assistant coach Lance West, who was ceremoniously introduced by his alma mater.

But on the ice, the Nanooks had an interesting series. I was a bit surprised of the results as the Nanooks found themselves down early both nights.

Friday night took some fight as UAH changed the tide of the game going up 1-0 on the power play with under 2 minutes to go in the first period. This power play came shortly after a man advantage opportunity for Alaska had lapsed, in which Colton Parayko had rang the post and nearly cashed in himself. A shot from the point by Carlson got through and ping ponged off of two legs down low and just sat in the crease. Tyler Morley tried to clear it but just missed the puck with his stick, but Kestner got a stick on it down low to somehow barely tip it past Cahill, who did not get his pad in place to hug the post.

That same taste of karma from the hockey gods continued into the second. In the early goings, Tyler Morley setup a good play to Parayko at the point with Perry all alone in front of the net. Guerriero had no chance of stopping that puck, but the post did, and it bounced off his back but somehow stayed out. Later on, after the Nanooks had a 3 on 1 rush that Tyler Morley and Garrick Perry nearly hooked up for the tying goal, but mistimed the pass and rand out of room. Perry had a minimal chance but it hit the outside of the cage. Seconds later Ben Reinhardt for the Chargers makes a stretch pass play again to Josh Kestner who gets a clean breakaway and made a couple of nice moves to beat Cahill on a defensive miscue for the Nanooks.

Down 2-0 at this point, the Nanooks continue to keep coming. The shots on goal at that point were staggering a staggering 28-6 not quite at the halfway point of the game. But the flood gates opened.

Marcus Basara busted the goose egg after Peter Krieger made some nice moves behind the Charger net and getting to the slot to take the shot. The defense followed Krieger, but Basara made a quick heads up play to get to the rebound and cash in to cut the lead. Then early in the 3rd, Tyler Morley gets possessed on a shorthanded rush and speeds into the zone leaning into a defender to drive the net and just rips a backhand that was way too hot to handle to tie the game. I he got a bit fired up during the second intermission.

My favorite play of the game came off the faceoff draw on a power play as Tyler Morley won it back to Parayko, who sent it back to Morley down low below the goal line as Basara found a soft spot in the slot to get open and roofed it for the game winning goal. Sparrow would add a dash of salt in the wound on another faceoff play of his own in almost the same fashion. Sparrow won the draw back to Atkinson to get it behind the goal line. Vieth got to the puck despite two defenders giving chase, and hit Sparrow on the door step, who roofed one from point blank (again, not a rookie move) to seal the deal.

Saturday was somewhat the same story. Just a few seconds into the game, a strange shot from behind the goal line snuck between the post and the back of Cahill and trickled in the net. But Tyler Morley cashed in just past the half way point of the period. Basara made a play in the corner and the defenders collapsed on him, but Tyler Morley broke towards the net, got the puck and backhanded one five-hole to tie it up on the power play. Seemed like the coaching strategy for the game was to collapse on Basara after he burned them for two goals on Friday. Seemed that way all night, but it didn't work there..

Another power play chance presented itself, and Tyler Morley made a beautiful cross ice pass to the point to Parayko, who waited patiently for the lane to open to get a shot through, ripped it, and took the first lead of the night. The Chargers came right back though down the ice less than a minute later as Max McHugh caught Cahill sleeping. McHugh just crossed the blue line and ripped it, nobody screening him... Can't fault him for the next one though as McHugh got a stick on a puck off a shot from the point to redirect it low for the 3-2 lead 6:32 into the second period.

It stayed that way until 6.9 seconds on the clock when Trevor Campbell came through in the clutch. Again, patience for the shot to go to find the lane despite the time crunch.

The third period had exactly nothing. UAH stepped up defensively and limited the shooting lanes. Parayko had a shot at the game winner with about 2 minutes left, but rang the left goal post. But redemption came in overtime just 15 seconds in as a Charger player failed to clear the puck past the big man who one-timed it from the point, high over the goaltenders blocker. Beautiful shot.

Now the fun begins. The Nanooks have gone unbeaten in their last 6 games. Second best streak in the country with Bemidji. Now the 'Nooks have the Seawolves to contend with in Los Anchorage. After getting the sweep in our barn back in mid-January, the fugly Seawolves didn't win a single game until Saturday's fluke against Bowling Green. Revenge is a dish best served cold.