March 4, 2007
Box Score
The Alaska Nanooks scored a goal in each period Sunday night in a do-or-die contest against the Western Michigan Broncos to win the best-of-three first round CCHA Playoff series, 2-1, by a score of 3-1 at Lawson Ice Arena.
"One of the big things tonight was that it was our fifth game here this season," said the Nanooks head coach Tavis MacMillan. "Our kids figured out the bounces off the glass and they had the willingness to compete and pay the price. From start to finish it was an all-out team effort and team win."
The win advances Alaska to the second round of the CCHA tournament for the second consecutive season, where they will meet the no.1 seed Notre Dame in South Bend next weekend, March 9-11, at the Joyce Center.
Nanook goalie Wylie Rogers (Fairbanks, AK) was awarded Perani Cup first star honors after turning aside 32 Bronco shots, and holding them scoreless for 59 minutes.
"Wylie was sharp tonight," MacMillan said. "He gave us a chance to have the lead and we didn't have that the last two games."
The marker that ruined Rogers' shutout bid was scored by the Broncos Paul Szczechura at 19:17 of the final frame, after WMU had pulled its netminder Riley Gill for a second time in favor of an extra attacker.
WMU initially pulled Gill with 1:33 remaining, but Alaska's junior left wing Kyle Greentree (Victoria, BC) stole the puck from a Bronco defenseman at the boards and chipped it to sophomore center Adam Naglich (Las Vegas, NV) just outside the blueline, where he fired it toward the unmanned net at 18:56. The empty net tally gave Alaska its short-lived three-goal lead and Naglich his fifth goal of the season. It was Greentree's second helper of the night and helped earn him second star honors.
A penalty to WMU's Ryan Mahrle at 6:40 of the second period gave the Nanooks their second two man-advantage of the contest and after going 0 for 7 on the power-play the previous evening, they needed only nine seconds to make the most of it, notching their first man-advantage goal of the weekend.
Freshman center Dion Knelsen (Three Hills, AB) won the face off back to sophomore defenseman Tyler Eckford (Langley, BC) who fired a wrist shot at Gill. Junior left wing Aaron Lee (Calgary, AB), who was parked at the top of the crease, found Eckford's rebound and lifted it over Gill's shoulder to make it 2-0 at the 6:49 mark of the second stanza. Lee's sixth goal of the season was also his ninth career playoff goal and second of the weekend against the Broncos.
For the first time in the series the Nanooks jumped on the scoreboard first. Greentree fed the puck to sophomore right wing Braden Walls (Calgary, AB) at center ice. Walls chipped the puck into the offensive zone for senior center Curtis Fraser (Surrey, BC) who skated in to the left of Riley Gill uncontested. Gill sprawled to reach the puck with his stick, but Fraser pulled it back slid it across his body out of Gill's reach to the right and wrapped it behind him for his 19th goal of the season.
Fraser was awarded the game's third star recognition after scoring a goal and blocking three shots as Alaska killed off all three of WMU's power-play chances.
"Fraser sacrificed his body to block shots, but he was our emotional leader from the get-go," MacMillan said.
Each team had one power-play opportunity through the first 20 minutes but neither could capitalize. Western got three good rushes and had Rogers beat on two wide open net rebounds, but two Nanook defensemen, sophomore Steve Vanoosten (Langley, BC) and senior Nathan Foranatro (Calgary, AB) were able to clear the pucks.
Alaska was out shot by WMU 33-30, but Rogers and his teammates stifled the Broncos efforts.
With win Rogers improved to 6-13-4 on the season and 33-34-9 in his career. He is 9-3 in the post season for Alaska.
With the 2-1 upset in the first round series, Alaska improved its postseason record under MacMillan to 9-4. They have won and advanced after the first week of the CCHA playoffs in four of the last five seasons and won on the road in each of the last three seasons.
The Nanooks will remain in Kalamazoo for practice until Wednesday before heading to South Bend for the remainder of the week. Next weekend's second round CCHA playoff action can be heard live on KSUA 91.5 FM and KYSC 96.9 FM. Opening face off for Friday's game is 7:35 p.m., while Saturday's (and Sunday if needed) action will begin at 7:05 p.m.
