FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks and head coach
Dallas Ferguson today announced the two Outside teams that will venture to Fairbanks and join the host Nanooks and the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves at the Carlson Center for the 2013 Brice Alaska Goal Rush, Oct. 18-19.
Joining the Alaska schools will be a pair of National Collegiate Hockey Association teams, both ranked in the top-10 of this week's USCHO.com Division I men's hockey poll.
The No. 9
Western Michigan Broncos (5-2-1, 2-1-1-1 CCHA), who won the 2012 Mason Cup as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Tournament champion, will return to Fairbanks Oct. 18-19 for Goal Rush action. Alaska and WMU play their final regular-season series as fellow conference members this Friday and Saturday at the Carlson Center.
Completing the four-team tournament field is this week's No. 2, the
Denver Pioneers (7-1-0, 5-1-0 WCHA), who are coached by 19-year veteran and two-time National Coach of the Year George Gwozdecky. The Pioneers have a storied history, having participated in the NCAA Tournament 23 times and raised the National Championship trophy seven times. They posted back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 and have been in each of the last five NCAA tournaments.
“I think this tournament field speaks for itself with the history both of these teams have in the national tournament and with Western (Michigan) winning the CCHA last year,” said Ferguson. “This is a great follow up to last year's (2012) field, which was the most competitive in the tournament's five-year history.”
This year the Nanooks won the tournament title defeating the Merrimack Warriors 3-2 before defeating then-ranked No. 2 North Dakota for their third title. Alaska Anchorage won the inagural tournament in 2008 and again in 2011, while the Nanooks took home the hardware in 2009 and 2010.
“It's going to be a great opportunity for our program to compete against two quality teams here in Fairbanks and a treat for our fans to witness.”
Tournament ticket packages will be available to season ticket holders via their annual renewals, which will be sent out in the spring of 2013. Indiviudal touranment packages will go on sale in mid-September.
