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Box Score]
FAIRBANKS, AK — Alaska head coach
Dallas Ferguson wasn't surprised that the Nanooks played the No. 2-ranked Miami RedHawks to a 1-1 overtime tie and an ensuing shootout — won 1-0 by Miami — in Friday's opener of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association series.
“It was kind of what I expected,” the second-year Alaska head coach said to begin the postgame media conference in the Pioneer Room.
More than 3,000 fans at the Carlson Center saw teams who are well-versed in defense, as the RedHawks entered the series with the best defense in NCAA Division I and the Nanooks ended last season with the No. 2 defense in the nation. The Nanooks defense was ranked 17th nationally before this weekend.
Miami senior left wing Jarod Palmer wasn't surprised either by the tie in regulation, which had him lining up at center ice for the shootout's first attempt. He converted with a high backhand over the glove-side pad of Nanooks sophomore goaltender
Scott Greenham.
“We came into this game planning for a low-scoring game,” Palmer said. “They play so strong defensively; it's real tough to get pucks through to the net, it's tough to get rebounds and it's tough to get scoring opportunities anywhere in the slot.”
Alaska defenseman
Aaron Gens scored on a power play in the first period and Miami center Pat Cannone did likewise in the second period for Miami. Greenham registered 23 saves, and Miami sophomore and former Fairbanks Ice Dog Cody Reichard stopped 20 shots.
The Nanooks didn't plan for this season's shootout win streak to end at five games, with four in CCHA play. However, Alaska maintained its consistency in the CCHA standings by getting at least a point in every series, and Friday's gain was a big one for the Nanooks as the regular season winds down.
Alaska, 7-7-5-4 CCHA and 10-7-6 overall, jumped into a fourth-place tie with Lake Superior, which lost 6-1 to Notre Dame. Fourth place is the lowest a team can finish in the regular season to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs in March and host to a quarterfinal series — which the Nanooks did last season.
Although it cost them one point, Ferguson told his team not to lament Friday's shootout loss.
“I told them to don't hang your heads,” Ferguson said. “We've been hooting and hollering in the last four we've been in, and we got the extra point because of the shootout. It's important to keep it in perspective.”
Greenham and Reichard were important to their respective teams, as each turned away some quality shots and denied eight power plays between them.
Greenham was also playing his second shootout. He backstopped last Saturday's 3-3 tie and 1-0 shootout win at Michigan.
“I was real impressed with their guy,” Miami head coach Enrico Blasi said. “He was real solid in there ... and Cody is Cody.”
Reichard entered the weekend leading the nation in saves percentage and goals against average, and in the shootout, he withstood
Andy Taranto's backhand,
Carlo Finucci's wrist shot and
Dion Knelsen's backhand.
“He's not the biggest of goalies but he's very agile,” Alaska junior left wing
Kevin Petovello said.
Gens found a small space under Reichard's glove side pad with a shot from the right circle with 29 seconds left in the first period.
Dion Knelsen set up the play with a behind-the-back pass from the right circle.
Taranto also assisted for his 25th point, the most by a Nanooks freshman since left wing Landon Novotney finished the 2007-08 season with the same total.
Miami (12-1-4-2, 15-4-6) knotted the score at 2:54 of the second period Friday, as Cannone scorched a sharp-angle shot from the left side of the crease and the puck bounced in off of Greenham's glove.
