Box Score
Greenham Post-Game Interview
Taranto Post-Game Interview
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Alaska Nanooks scored goals in the first and third periods but it could not undo the three-goal second period by the host Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, who prevailed 3-2 in the in the first game of the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup series on Friday night at Sullivan Arena.
Alaska got goals from junior forwards
Andy Taranto and
Adam Henderson, their 10th and fourth of the year, respectively.
The Nanooks opened the scoring with a power-play goal by Taranto at 13:08 of the first period to make it 1-0. Sophomore center
Cody Kunyk skated through three Seawolves at their blue line and poked the puck ahead to his right, where Taranto collected it and fired a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that beat UAA's Chris Kamal over his left shoulder. Also picking up an assist on the score was senior defenseman
Scott Enders.
For Taranto, who led the Nanooks in points scored against UAA entering the weekend, it was his fifth goal and ninth point in five career games against the Seawolves. It also marked Enders sixth assist in seven career games.
The second stanza proved pivotal as the home team scored three unanswered goals to take control of the game.
A turnover in the neutral zone set UAA for the equalizer as Jordan Kwas fed Eric Scheid at the blue line, where he had a step on Alaska's defenseman and was able to beat Greenham with a wrist shot over his left shoulder to make it 1-1 at 2:33 of the second stanza.
Less than a minute later the Seawolves got a penalty shot, when senior defenseman
Aaron Gens tripped UAA's Kory Roy at 3:35. Roy missed his chance left of the cage and Greenham, but it was of little consequence to UAA, as they scored four seconds after on the ensuing faceoff. Matt Bailey won the draw at the right circle back to Curtis Leinweber, who wristed the puck high over Greenham's Left shoulder to take the 2-1 lead at 3:39.
UAA's third goal came with some puck luck as a centering pass by Brett Cameron was backhanded away from the left boards just above the goal line and it slipped just under Greenham's right pad and in for the 3-1 lead at 10:57.
Mid-way through the third period
Adam Henderson cut the visitors deficit, when he flipped the puck just underneath the cross bar from the slot. The goal wasn't called on the ice initially and it wasn't until 40 seconds later when the first stoppage in play allowed for a review of the play. When the official exited the box, he signaled the goal by Henderson from Finucci counted at 9:42 of the third period.
Alaska looked to net the equalizer, pulling Greenham with under a minute left in favor of the extra attacker. Their efforts were fruitless as the Seawolves and Kamal held on for the 3-2 win.
For the game, the Nanooks were 1-for-3 on the power play and denied UAA on their only man-advantage opportunity. Greenham had 14 saves in the loss, Alaska's ninth one-goal let down of the year. Kamal turned aside 27 of Alaska's 29 shots at the other end of the ice.
The teams will conclude the series tomorrow night in Fairbanks at the Carlson Center (7:05 p.m. AKT), where they will decide the Cup's 2012 champion.
