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Alaska at Northern Michigan Series Notes]
FAIRBANKS, AK - The Blue and Gold head to Michigan's Upper Peninsula this weekend to take on the Northern Michigan Wildcats in a pair of Central Collegiate Hockey Association games at the Berry Events Center. The games, which are slated for 3:35 p.m. start time in Alaska, will both be shown live locally on KFXF Fox 7 in Fairbanks as well as GCI Cable statewide. Here are the need to know notes about the Northern Michigan series and Alaska Hockey:
• The Nanooks trail the Northern Michigan Wildcats 6-22-8 in the all-time series. The teams met twice in Fairbanks back in November, with Alaska getting a pair of shoot out wins following 3-3 and 4-4 ties at the Carlson Center. In 2008-09 they met twice during the regular season last year and once at Joe Louis Arena, with the Nanooks going 0-2-1.
• Alaska is 1-5-4 against NMU in the last 10 games, and looking to snap a six-game winless skid (0-3-3) against the Wildcats this weekend.
• A win in Marquette this weekend would mark the first for the Nanooks senior class. In two road trips to NMU over the last three seasons, Alaska is 0-2-2.
• The Blue and Gold's last win at the Berry Events Center was a 2-1 decision on Feb. 5, 2005.
• For the second time in as many weeks, the Alaska Nanooks were held scoreless in a CCHA game. The Nanooks were last shutout in CCHA play at home on Oct. 24, 2008 in a 1-0 loss to Bowling Green.
• Friday's 1-0 shootout loss marked the first time Alaska was unable to grab the extra point this season. They were previously undefeated at 4-0 in league shoot outs but still remain unbeaten in overtime this season at 2-0-6.
• FR G
Steve Thompson relieved sophomore
Scott Greenham when the Nanooks faced a three-goal deficit for just the second time this season on Saturday. Thompson is a likely to earn his first collegiate start in Alaska's next road series at Northern Michigan.
• Alaska, the least penalized team in D1 hockey this season, assessed a season-high of 30 penalty minutes Saturday night. SO D
Joe Sova is the first player this season to receive anything other than a minor penalty (10 min). Only five Nanooks have earned 20 or more PIM thus far this year.
• FR F Andy Tarnato leads Alaska in assists (16), points (25), PIM (28), first goals (3), game-winning goals (2) and power-play goals (5).
• SR F
Dion Knelsen is two points shy of reaching the 100-point career mark. He has 37 goals and 61 assists good for 98 points in 133 games for Alaska.
