Box Score BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Nanooks dominated for long periods of play, but gave up two goals in the final minute of regulation, as Alaska and No. 11 Bowling Green fought to a 4-4 tie in their Western Collegiate Hockey Association series finale on Saturday night at the BGSU Ice Arena.
Alaska held a 4-2 lead with the clock winding down, but Bowling Green scored at the 45 second and 21 second mark to tie the game at four. Neither team generated any big opportunities in overtime, as the Nanooks earn their first tie of the season, improving to 12-9-1 and 7-8-1 in the WCHA. Meanwhile, Bowling Green is now 13-3-4 and 9-1-2 in the league.
Alaska scored a pair of goals in the opening two periods as Tyler Morley, Trevor Campbell, Shawn Hochhausen and Marcus Basara were all on the score sheet for the Nanooks. Davis Jones made 32 saves in the game.
Bowling Green came out strong to start the game, but the Nanooks were able to weather the storm, before launching an assault of their own, which resulted in two goals. First, T. Morley opened the scoring as he beat BGSU's Tomas Sholl with a backhanded shot through the five-hole.
Following the goal, Alaska amped the pressure, and was rewarded for its efforts as Campbell fired a loose puck in from the point to double the advantage. Campbell, who has eight assists from his defensive position, recorded his first goal of the season with his blast.
The Falcons pulled one back, however, late in the period when Sean Walker slapped one past Jones on a 5-on-3 power play opportunity. Moments later, T. Morley looked like he had given the Nanooks a 3-1 lead, as he collected the puck in the corner, and with Sholl still scrambling towards his net, put the puck over the line. Unfortunately, upon review, the goal was waved off as it was deemed the puck went under the net when the BGSU goaltender knocked it off its moorings. Following that passage of play, the Falcons swapped Tommy Burke in goal for Sholl.
Alaska threatened from the off in the second period, and again forced the issue in claiming its third goal. Huysmans stole the puck right in front of the net and fired home to give Alaska a 3-1 lead, before Basara would extended that advantage moments later, shorthanded.
For the second time in the game, Alaska found itself down two men, but was able to kill off both penalties. As his minor expired (the first) Basara raced out of the penalty box to collect a loose puck and finished off the shorthanded breakaway opportunity. That goal was the first for the Nanooks on the penalty kill this season.
However, for the second straight game, the Falcons scored three times in the third period, this time to send the game to overtime. Walker netted his second of the game midway through the period, before Ben Murphy tallied both goals in the dramatic last period of play.
Alaska now returns home for the first two games of the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup against Alaska Anchorage. Both Friday's and Saturday's games are set to begin at 7:07 p.m. AKST.
