Oct. 28, 2006
Final Stats
FAIRBANKS, AK - The Alaska Nanooks took a 4-2 over Ferris State University Saturday night in the second Central Collegiate Hockey Association contest of the season at the Carlson Center. The Nanooks, who scored the first three goals of the game, moved into a second-place tie in the CCHA on a night of first goals for Alaska.
Sophomore Braden Walls (Calgary, AB) struck first for the Nanooks just 2:01 into the game. Senior Lucas Burnett (Rossland, BC) missed a shot off of Bulldog goalie Mitch O'Keefe, who couldn't contain the puck. Walls took the rebound from in front of O'Keefe, juked left and the shoveled the puck in backhanded. The goal was Walls' first of the season.
Burnett then tallied his first goal of the season with 10:54 left in the opening period to put Alaska up to 2-0. Burnett took a pass from junior forward Aaron Lee (Calgary, AB), skated behind the Bulldog goal and slid the puck by O'Keefe's gloveside. Sophomore defenseman Steve Vanoosten (Langley, BC) also assisted on the play.
The Nanooks went up 3-0 on Vanoosten's first tally of the young season. Brandon Knelsen (Three Hills, AB) skated along the left side inboards and slipped the puck to a cutting Vanoosten, who one-timed the puck off the post on O'Keefe's stickside with 12:13 left in the second period. Junior Kyle Greentree (Victoria, BC) also picked up an assist on the play.
With Ferris holding a 5-on-3 man advantage, defenseman Joe Van Culin tallied a late goal on Johnson with 4:12 left. Bulldogs Chris Zarb and Zac Pearson picked up assists on the score. The goal snapped Alaska's penalty killing streak at 16 over three games.
Less than two minutes later at the 2:32 mark, Justin Lewandowski poked his own rebound through the legs of a sprawling Johnson for an even strength score. Matt Frank and Brandon Connolly of FSU tallied assists on the play.
Alaska senior Curtis Fraser added an empty net goal with 11.1 seconds left to seal the win. Greentree and Darcy Campbell assisted on the score.
The Nanooks were out shot for the second night in a row with the Bulldogs holding a 29-25 advantage.
Sophomore Chad Johnson (Calgary, AB) earned Toyota Player of the Game honors with 27 saves but gave up two late scores. Johnson, who tops the nation in goals against average at 0.98 and saves percentage at .959, improved to 3-0-1 on the season for the Nanooks. O'Keefe (3-5-0) stopped 21 shots in the loss.
Greentree's two assists gives him a team-high 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) on the year. The two helpers also moved Greentree past freshman Dion Knelsen (Three Hills, AB) for the team lead in assists this season. Fraser's late score moves him into a three-way tie with Greentree and for the lead in goals with four.
Alaska killed off 5 of 6 FSU power plays on the night. The Nanooks finished 0 of 6 on the power play to bring them to 1 for 14 in the series.
The win moved Alaska into a second-place tie with Nebraska-Omaha, Western Michigan and Ohio State in the conference. Miami currently holds sole possession of first place in the CCHA.
A crowd of 3,396 at the Carlson Center watched the Nanooks win to close out their seven-game homestand to open the season. Alaska starts a four-game road trip next weekend with a two-game set against Nebraska-Omaha Nov. 3 and 4. The Nanooks then travel to Northern Michigan Nov. 10 and 11.
