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Box Score]
MARQUETTE, MI – For the third time in as many encounters this season the Alaska Nanooks and the Northern Michigan Wildcats ended their Central Collegiate Hockey Association contest with a tie and a deciding shootout. Alaska picked up one point with a 2-2 overtime tie against the 'Cats, but was unable to secure the extra point and fell 2-0 in the shootout Friday night at the Berry Events Center.
Alaska's
Kevin Petovello (Sparwood, BC, Victoria (BCHL)) and Dion Knelsen (Three Hills, AB, Drumheller (AJHL)) were unable to solve NMU's netminder Brian Stewart in the shootout, while Mark Olver and Greger Hanson beat Scott Greenham (Addison, ON, Oakville (OPJHL)) to pick up the extra point. Alaska moved to 10-8-7 overall on the season and 7-8-6-4 in league play, narrowly holding onto fourth place.The Blue and Gold came out strong controlling the tempo of the game from early on; however, the Wildcats opened the scoring on a power-play goal by Andrew Cherniwchan at 7:57. Despite several man-advantage opportunities, Alaska was unable to find its answer.
Coming back from the first intermission, the 'Cats doubled-up on the scoreboard before Alaska would respond. TJ Miller made it 2-0 at 11:47 but less than a minute later the Nanooks got on the board with a power-play marker during their seventh attempt of the evening by
Dustin Sather (Wanham, AB, Grand Prarie (AJHL)) at 12:34.
Carlo Finucci (Burnaby, BC, Burnaby (BCHL)) and
Bryant Molle (Anchorage, AK, Penticton (BCHL)) assisted on the play.
The third period saw the visitors get another answer, this time from defenseman
Aaron Gens (Baudette, MN, Topeka (NAHL)), who tied the game in regulation with his fourth goal of the season at 8:12 of the final frame.
Dion Knelsen and Finucci were credited as the set-up men.
After a scoreless overtime period in which Alaska outshot NMU 3-0 the teams headed into their third shootout of the four-game series. Alaska fell to 4-2 in CCHA shootouts but remained tied with Notre Dame for the most shoot out wins among conference teams.
After getting outshot 9-6 in the first period, the Nanooks went on to outshoot their hosts 20-10 through the remainder of the game for a 26-19 overall advantage. Each side made good on one power-play opportunity as Alaska went 1-for-10 and NMU was 1-for-4.
Greenham turned aside 17 Wildcats shots, while his counterpart registered 24 saves on the night.
The clustermates close out their four-game series Saturday (Jan. 30) night. The puck drops at 3:35 p.m AKT and will again be aired live in Fairbanks on KFXF Fox 7.
