FAIRBANKS, AK - The University of Alaska Fairbanks hockey team rallied from an early 2-0 deficit and picked up two important points in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings with a 4-3 victory over Bowling Green State University on Friday night at the Carlson Center.
Before many of the 3,539 fans even settled into their seats, the Falcons had a 2-0 lead and knocked UAF starting netminder
Wylie Rogers (Fairbanks, AK/Victoria, BCHL) out of the game.
Bowling Green scored two goals in the opening 1:59 of the game. The Falcons' Jonathan Matsumoto beat Rogers with a shot from just inside the blue line as the shot glanced off Rogers blocker and into the net. The goal was his 17th of the season and was assisted by Don Morrison and Brandon Svendsen.
The Falcons would light the lamp 55 seconds later when Michael Hodgson took a pass from Kevin Schmidt and beat Rogers with a shot for his second goal of the season. John Mazzei was credited with the second assist on the play.
With precious CCHA points at stake, UAF head coach
Tavis MacMillan had seen enough and sent freshman
Chad Johnson (Calgary, AB/Brooks, AJHL) to replace Rogers who allowed two goals on four shots.
The Nanooks would cut BGSU's lead in half during their third power play of the first period with the Falcons' Ryan Barnett in the box for slashing. Sophomore forward
Kyle Greentree (Victoria, BC/Victoria, BCHL) took a shot from the point that senior
Kelly Czuy (Edmonton, AB/Canmore, AJHL) slapped at as he set a screen in front of BGSU goaltender Jon Horrell. The puck deflected off Czuy's skate right to freshman center
Adam Naglich (Las Vegas, NV/Victoria, BCHL) in the slot who poked the puck past Horrell for his third goal of the season at 12:52 of the first period.
Just as the Falcons struck early in the first period, the Nanooks scored early in the second period to even the score at 2-2. Freshman right wing
Kyle Jones (Airdrie, AB/Trail, BCHL) was parked at the left post and redirected a point shot by sophomore defenseman
T.J. Campbell (Ft. McMurray/Ft. McMurray, AJHL) below Horrell just 1:44 into the second stanza. Sophomore
Aaron Lee (Calgary, AB/Sherwood Park, AJHL) picked up the secondary assist on Jones' ninth goal of the season.
UAF took the lead 3-2 at 14:30 of the second period when Campbell potted his first collegiate goal when he ripped a seeing-eye slap shot through traffic past Horrell low to the right side. Picking up assists on the sophomore defenseman's goal was junior forward
Curtis Fraser (Surrey, BC/Vernon, BCHL) and Jones.
The Nanooks took a two-goal lead with just six seconds left in the second period when Greentree stripped a Falcon defender of the puck in the corner and fed the puck through the crease to Czuy backdoor for his fourth goal of the season, and Greentree's second assist of the game.
Czuy's goal proved to be the game-winner as junior forward
Lucas Burnett (Rossland, BC/Trail, BCHL) was whistled for hooking at 55 seconds and Bowling Green would strike on the ensuing power play to pull to within one goal at 4-3.
Derek Whitmore roofed the puck past a sprawling Johnson at the right post for his 13th goal of the season. Brett Pilkington and Mike Nesdill picked up assists on the power play goal at 1:33 of the third period.
Bowling Green nearly tied the game after as Nanook turnover put the puck on the stick of Schmidt who was alone in the slot. Schmidt's shot beat Johnson but bounced down off the crossbar and was cleared to safety by Jones.
Johnson finished the game with 38 saves in relief and was named the game's Perani Cup first star. The freshman goaltender leads the team point standings with 17.
Each team notched a power play tally as the Nanooks finished the game 1-for-5 with 12 shots and the Falcons went 1-for-4 with the man advantage, generating only six shots. BGSU outshot UAF 43-33.
The win did come at a cost however, as the Nanooks lost sophomore forward
Ryan Muspratt (Calgary, AB/Camrose, AJHL) to a knee injury early in the second period after colliding with a Bowling Green player at the UAF blue line. Muspratt remained down for several minutes and required assistance leaving the ice and did not return.
With the win, UAF improved to 12-13-4 overall and 8-12-3 in the CCHA. BGSU falls to 13-17-1 overall and 8-14-1 in conference. The teams return to the Carlson Center ice Saturday night for a rematch. The first puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
Notes:
* The Nanooks earned their first victory of the season after their opponents scored first (1-8-2).
* Czuy picked up his second game-winning goal this season and tied Fraser for the team lead with two game-winning goals apiece.
* Muspratt left the arena wearing a brace on his knee and is doubtful for tomorrow night's game.
Three stars:
1.
Chad Johnson (UAF)
2. Kelly Czuy (UAF)
3.
Kyle Jones (UAF)
- UAF HOCKEY -
