Oct. 14, 2006
Final Stats
FAIRBANKS, AK - One night after opening the season with a shutout win over Air Force, the Alaska Nanooks allowed four goals to the visiting Falcons. But the Nanooks used an offensive outburst, including a team-record six power play goals, to sweep a season-opening series for the first time in five years.
On a high-scoring night for Alaska (2-0), it was Nanook Nathan Fortanaro (Calgary, AB) who tallied the eventual game-winning goal late in the second. With 1:35 left in the period, the senior took a pass from Curtis Fraser (Surrey, BC) and rocketed a shot from five feet inside the blueline that ricocheted off Falcon goalie Peter Foster's glove side, off the right post and into the goal to put the Nanooks up 5-3.
After skating to a 1-1 tie through one period, Alaska outscored the Falcons 7-3 the rest of the way. The surge in goals was largely due to a 6-for-10 effort on the power play. Air Force struck the net on two of their six man advantage situations.
Amongst the slew of Nanook scorers, freshman Dion Knelsen (Three Hills, AB) took home Toyota Player of the Game honors with a two-goal, three-assist effort. The 17-year-old scored his first collegiate goal 1:26 into the game when he poked back his own rebound to the stick side of a floundering Foster.
Joining Knelsen with multi-point games were junior Kyle Greentree (1 goal, 3 assists), sophomore Adam Naglich (2 goals, 1 assist), junior Darcy Campbell (2 assists) and Fornataro (1 goal, 1 assist). The Nanooks outshot the Falcons 33-27.
The Falcons were led by junior Eric Ehn's two goals and an assist. Also tallying goals for Air Force were forward Andrew Ramsey and defenseman Brian Gineo.
Wylie Rogers (Fairbanks, AK) turned back 16 of 19 Falcon shots before being relieved by freshman Erik Largen. Largen (Fairbanks, AK) turned back 7 of 8 shots in his first ice time as a Nanook.
Foster recorded 16 saves but gave up seven goals before being pulled in favor of Andrew Volkening early in the third. Volkening allowed one goal on nine shots for the Falcons (1-3).
The Nanooks swept an opening series for the first time since Oct. 2001, when they also took two from Air Force.
The Nanooks will next play Alaska Anchorage in the first two games of the Governor's Cup Oct. 20 and 21. The puck drops at 7:05 both nights.
