Jan. 24, 2009
Box Score
MARQUETTE, MI - For the second consecutive night, the No. 19 Alaska Nanooks watched the Northern Michigan Wildcats jump out to a two-goal lead. Saturday night, however, they found their answers as forwards Brandon Knelsen and Braden Walls scored in the second and third periods, respectively, to even the tally and secure a 2-2 tie. Unfortunately, the Wildcats proved stingy hosts, taking the extra point on the night with a 2-0 shootout win.
After skating through a scoreless first period for the second time in as many nights, the Wildcats managed to jump-start their offensive juices, netting the first goal of the contest at 3:47 of the middle frame. Erik Gustafsson beat Alaska netminder Scott Greenham with an even-strength marker and his teammate Ray Kaunisto repeated the feat just 39 seconds later to make it 2-0.
Facing a two-goal deficit, Knelsen broke Alaska’s scoring drought with an unassisted tally and his third of the season at 17:43 of the second period, cutting the margin in half and swinging the momentum in the Nanooks favor.
Walls found the back of the net to knot the score at 8:16 of the third period, getting assists from Bryant Molle and Ryan Hohl.
Neither team could break the deadlock through the remaining 11:44 of regulation, nor the five-minute extra session as the teams went to a shootout. Although they managed to earn a very important point in the CCHA standings with the tie, Alaska could not get a second point on the night as NMU’s Gustafsson and Mark Olver beat Greenham to give the home team a four-point weekend.
Alaska (11-9-6. 9-8-5-3 CCHA), which sits in third place with 26 points, returns to the Carlson Center next weekend to play host to the Ohio State Buckeyes (16-7-39-6-3-3). Opening face off both nights is at 7:05 p.m. AKST
