Dec. 29, 2006
Box Score
By Danny Martin, Staff Writer, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Published December 30, 2006
Posted in Sports
The Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup moved to a new address Friday night after spending the past five college hockey seasons in Fairbanks.
The University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, spurred by two-play goals in the second period and junior goaltender Nathan Lawson's 26-save performance, rolled to a 4-1 victory over the Alaska Nanooks in Game 3 of the four-game intrastate series, bringing the Cup back to Anchorage for the first time since the 2000-01 season.
The loss at the Sullivan Arena dropped the Nanooks to 7-6-4 on the season and meant that Alaska's four seniors of defenseman Nathan Fornataro, centers Curtis Fraser and Lucas Burnett and wing/center Jordan Emmerson won't get to experience four straight seasons as Governor's Cup titlists as the team's senior classes in 2004-05 and last season did.
"It's tough to swallow, that's for sure," said Fraser. "lt was something you wanted to take home with you all the time after taking it home three times. We kind of got used to having it around."
UAA's five seniors -- right wings Justin Bourne and Nick Lowe, center Charlie Kronschnabel and defenseman Chad Anderson and Mark Smith -- quickly learned to get used to a trophy that they had never held.
"When you come in as a freshman, you really don't know what it means to the program or anything like that," said Anderson, "but every year you're here, it just keeps building and building, and it's a good feeling to finally bring it back to Anchorage."
Alaska junior goaltender Wylie Rogers notched 21 saves and sophomore right wing Kyle Jones scored late in the third period, his first goal this season, denying Lawson of a shutout before the crowd of 5,150, including several who came down from Fairbanks.
"It was pretty big," Jones said. "It's been kind of struggling season this year, battling with confidence and trying to score some goals. I hope use this as a boost of confidence to go from here."
The 9-8-2 Seawolves of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association boosted themselves toward the Cup with power-play goals by freshman center Paul Crowder and sophomore center Jay Beagle in the second period, another Crowder tally early in the third period and junior center Peter Cartwright's empty-net deposit with less than five minutes left in the contest.
The teams meet again tonight at 7:07 in a Game 4 that's technically a formality, but should help each squad prepare for two-week road trips in their respective conferences. Alaska visits Ohio State next Friday and Sunday and Michigan State on Jan. 12-13 while UAA plays at St. Cloud State next Friday and Saturday and at North Dakota on Jan. 12-13.
"We're treating tomorrow like it's still the Governor's Cup," Jones said. "We're going to go out and play the game like it's a playoff game. We want to win that game as much as they do."
The Seawolves are scheduled to receive the Cup from Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in a ceremony after tonight's game.
"It's huge," Beagle, who had a goal and an assist, said of the Cup. "We heard stories from the seniors last year and from the seniors this year about the Governor's Cup. We wanted it really bad. I didn't play for the Governor's Cup last year (because of a shoulder injury) but I was hungry for it and the whole team showed tonight it was hungry for the Cup."
The Nanooks outshot the Seawolves 27-25, including 13-10 in the final period, but could only score once on seven power-play opportunities, while UAA had two in its five chances.
The teams matched shots in the first period with six each. The Nanooks' best chance to snap the scoreless deadlock came on a five-minute power play that began at 4:04 after Seawolves left wing Chris Tarkir committed a checking-from-behind infraction to Alaska left wing Aaron Lee on the right-wing boards near the UAA bench. Tarkir also received a game misconduct, leaving the Seawolves one man short for the rest of the game.
Alaska, though, could muster only three shots in the lengthy man-advantage session while committing three turnovers.
UAA scored the game's first goal on a 4-on-3 power play at 1:28 of the second period, as Crowder got behind Aaron Lee at the right side of the crease and flipped the puck off the crossbar and behind Rogers at 1:28.
An obstruction hooking minor by Alaska defenseman Tyler Eckford at 4:37 put UAA on fourth power play of the night, and Beagle cashed in, scoring in front of Rogers at 6:09.
After Crowder redirected in Waldrip's shot at 3:14 of the third to make it 3-0, the Nanooks gambled and pulled Rogers for an extra attacker. Cartwright, taking advantage of a Nanooks turnover, scored into an empty net at 15:28.
Jones avoided Alaska's first shutout defeat since a 4-0 setback last Jan. 13 at Michigan State by taking defenseman Darcy Campbell's pass from the low slot and putting over Lawson's glove side at 16:26.
