Box Score FAIRBANKS – For the third season in a row, the No. 19 ranked Alaska Nanook hockey team is champion of the Brice Alaska Goal Rush Tournament. The Nanooks once again came from behind, this time to defeat Penn State University, 4-3, on Saturday night to clinch the trophy.
Freshman
Austin Vieth scored the game tying and game winning goals in the third period less than thirty seconds apart and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player for Alaska.
Joining Vieth in garnering tournament honors were
Tyler Morley and
Colton Parayko.
Twice Alaska (4-0-0) would take the lead, only to be pegged back almost instantly. Munson scored for the second straight day to give the Nanooks the lead five minutes into the game, but just thirty seconds later the Nittany Lions (1-2-1) would respond from Eric Scheid.
Then, just four minutes into the second period
Nolan Huysmans scored to reaffirm the Nanook lead, only for PSU's Connor Varley to tie the game up just over a minute later. Penn State would then take the lead at the 12:09 mark of the second period as he scored on the power play to make the score 3-2.
Things looked as if Alaska was heading towards its first defeat of the 2014-15 season, but the freshman Vieth would see to it that the strong start to the season would continue. At the 14:03 mark of the third period Vieth knotted things up, before, moments later, he sent the Carlson Center into a frenzy as he scored his third goal in two games, this time, the game winner.
Goaltender
Sean Cahill earned the win in his first start of the campaign, as he was impressive in stopping 40 of the 43 shots he faced.
For Penn State, Matthew Skoff earned All-Tournament honors as he was strong in both games for Penn State. Against Alaska he made 29 saves on 33 shots.
Also making the All-Tournament team were Alaska Anchorage's Blake Tatchell and Chase Van Allen as well as Air Force's Cole Gunner.
The Nanooks now embark on a four game road trip as they travel to take on Western Michigan (Oct. 24-25) before opening up WCHA play at Bemidji State on Oct. 31-Nov. 1.
