Jan. 18, 2008
Box Score
FAIRBANKS, AK- A highly-competitive contest between two evenly-matched teams desperately fighting for points, the game between Alaska and Nebraska-Omaha was always going to come down to which team got a few bounces to go its way.
Unfortunately for the Nanooks, on Friday night, those bounces fell in favor of the Mavericks. UNO's Bill Bagron slid in to deflect an inch-perfect centering pass from Eric Olimb past Alaska goaltender Wylie Rogers to break a 1-1 tie. Bryan Marshall, who struck earlier to cancel out Landon Novotney's opener, would add an empty-netter late to seal a 3-1 win for the Mavericks.
In the end, it was a cruel final scoreline for the battling Nanooks, costing them crucial points in the battle for home ice in the CCHA playoffs.
Nebraska-Omaha goaltender Jerad Kaufmann frustrated the Blue and Gold with 23 saves, including stopping a T.J. Campbell penalty shot that could have put the Nanooks well on the way to victory. Wylie Rogers recorded 31 saves for Alaska, as he falls to 5-7-4 on the year.
In all fairness, the visitors looked the fresher team out of the gates, taking the game to Alaska following the opening face-off. The Nanooks' penalty kill needed to be sharp early, as they found themselves down two men before even five minutes were off the clock. The Blue and Gold special teams responded well, however, killing off the five-on-three situation without further damage.
After weathering an early UNO storm, Alaska begin to slowly tip the scales in their favor, pinning the Mavericks back for large stretches of the first period.
After Dustin Sather hooked the Nanooks first shot wide, sophomore Dion Knelsen had a great opportunity to put Alaska ahead. His slapshot from the right wing seemed destined for the top shelf before Nebraska-Omaha goaltender Jerad Kaufmann got just enough of his glove onto the shot to tip it over the bar.
Knelsen then turned provider, slipping a clever pass between his legs from the endline to a waiting Tyler Eckford. The junior could not convert, however, sending his fierce shot just wide.
Despite their dominance, Alaska almost fell victim to a sucker punch just before the end of the first period. Adam Naglich turned the puck over in his own zone to the shorthanded Mavericks, inadvertently putting Dan Swanson in on goal. Rogers bailed his teammate out, however, with a spectacular sprawling save to push Swanson's shot onto the post.
Rogers' save would prove big, however, as the Nanooks would open the scoring just seconds later. Receiving the puck out on the point, Tyler Eckford fired in a trademark rocket, which Novotney instinctively deflected past a helpless Kaufmann for his ninth goal of the season.
The Mavericks nearly got the perfect response just a minute into the second period. After winning a face-off deep in the Nanook zone, Mick Lawrence saw his fierce shot beat Rogers, only to glance off both the crossbar and the post: the puck somehow not crossing the line before coming back out.
Novotney then had a glorious chance to add a second, leading the team up on an odd-man rush on the power-play. Kaufmann did well to get his pads onto his initial wrister, but could only deflect the shot back into the oncoming freshman's path. With the right side of the goal gaping, however, Novotney somehow dragged his shot wide as Kaufmann scrambled to recover.
Both teams would then run the gamut of emotions at the end of an eventful second period. The Mavericks seemed to have leveled the scores, as Tomas Klempa stabbed home a loose puck following a blocked shot. The officials conferred, however, ruling the goal out for goaltender interference.
The rollercoaster ride continued for the 3,083 fans inside the Carlson Center, as T.J. Campbell earned a penalty shot after being hauled down from behind with just the goaltender to beat. Kaufmann would come out on top in this occasion, however, getting down low to block to stuff Campbell's forehand shot with his pads.
The penalty could have given the Nanooks a 2-0 advantage. Instead, UNO would find an equalizer just minutes later. Mick Lawrence slid a tempting pass across the face of goal from the right, which somehow made its way through everyone to Marshall. Marshall seemed to have missed his chance after not taking the shot first time, but the senior center stayed calm, controlling the puck on the left wing before sending a shot just inside the far post.
Alaska would have an opportunity to snatch the lead back, as they enjoyed over a minute and a half of a five-on-three advantage at the beginning of the third period. Eckford would get four shots on goal during the power play, but Kaufmann produced an outstanding two-footed save to deny his best attempt.
That would be the best opportunity the Nanooks would get in the period, as Bagron would bundle home the winner soon afterwards.
The two teams will return to the Carlson Center tomorrow, as Alaska will look to grab two points from that game at 7:05 p.m.
