Oct. 31, 2008
Box Score
OXFORD, OH - Junior center Dion Knelsen turned on the red lamp twice and senior goalie Chad Johnson stopped 21 shots as the Alaska Nanooks upset their hosts, the #7 Miami RedHawks 2-1 Friday night at Steve Cady Arena.
The win, which improved the Nanooks to 4-2-1 overall and 2-1-0-0 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, dealt the RedHawks (3-2-2, 3-1-1-0 CCHA) their first conference loss of the young season.
From the drop of the puck, the host RedHawks were a physical force dealing hard hits in the open ice. However, the Nanooks fought through it and Dion Knelsen picked off a Miami pass behind the net on the forecheck and turned it into a 1-0 lead, beating the RedHawks' Cody Reichard stick-side. Despite two first-period chances with a man-advantage, Alaska was unable to double the score although Miami saw no power-play chances of their own.
Both squads continued to battle in the second frame but Dion Knelsen struck again as he received a pass from his brother Brandon Knelsen and beat Reichard gloveside this time. Despite the Nanooks offensive onslaught, Reichard kept Miami in the game with some solid saves, including four in a row at one point and two at point-blank range by Brandon Knelsen.
Miami came out hot in the third period and took advantage of the Nanook's fourth penalty of the contest, when Jarod Palmer scored at 26 seconds to cut Alaska's lead in half. The RedHawks put on the pressure and saw some solid chances, including a one-on-none break-away by Raymond Eichenlaub, but Johnson remained composed and thwarted the effort with a save to clinch the win for the Blue and Gold and his second in as many games.
The teams will face off again tomorrow night inside Steve Cady Arena at the Goggin Ice Center at 7:05 p.m. The game will be televised live on KFXF Fox 7 in Fairbanks.
