Men's Ice Hockey | 12/15/2016 4:10:00 PM

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks hockey team continues their four-game homestead this weekend, hosting the Bowling Green Falcons in a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at the Carlson Center on Friday, Dec. 16 and Saturday, Dec. 17. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7:07pm AKST on both nights.

Hockey for the Holidays
The Alaska Nanooks hockey team is hosting a "Hockey for the Holidays" ticket special for Friday's matchup against Bowling Green, where fans can buy four general admission tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for $40.

Last Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks split against in-state rival Alaska Anchorage last weekend, falling 3-2 on Friday (Dec. 9) before bouncing back to defeat the Seawolves 3-1 on Saturday (Dec. 10). The weekend series counted not only toward the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings, but also the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup, which is now tied 1-1.

WCHA Standings
The Nooks (5-11-2, 4-8-2-2 WCHA) are now tied for seventh place in the conference standings, with Alaska and Lake Superior State University both collecting 16 WCHA points on the season. Alaska's upcoming weekend opponent Bowling Green (8-10-2, 7-6-1-1 WCHA) is tied for third place with 23 points.

All About that Bas(s)
Senior forward Marcus Basara continues to lead the Nooks in scoring, registering five goals and eight assists for 13 points this season. Basara is currently riding a two-game point streak after recording an assist in both games against UAA last weekend. Alone, Basara also leads the team in points per games played (0.72) and is tied for first on the team in game-winning goals (1).

Frye's Big Weekend
Junior defenseman Zach Frye led all Nanooks with a three-point weekend (3A) against UAA last Friday and Saturday, ranking the Spokane, Washington native second in overall scoring on the team. Frye also leads the Nanooks in power play assists (5), power play points (7), shots on goal (50), shots on goal per games played (2.78) and is tied for first in assists (9), assists per games played (0.50) and blocks (27).

Double-Digit Dudes
Sophomore forward Chad Staley and senior forward Brandon Morley are the only other Nanooks who have surpassed double-digit scoring this season, with Staley tallying 11 points (6G, 5A) and Morley collecting 10 (1G, 9A). Staley leads the team in goals with six, while Morley is tied for first in assists with nine.

Rookie Contributions
A pair of freshman forwards are tied for first on the team in power play goals, as Ross Heidt and Colton Leiter have each recorded three this season. The duo also ranks first among Nanook rookies with four power play points each.

Freshman forward Troy Van Tetering leads all Alaska freshmen in points so far, as the Carstairs, Alberta native has five goals and four assists for nine points in 18 games thus far. Van Tetering is one of three freshmen who have appeared in all 18 games for the Nooks this season, while eight of the nine rookies to have dressed in at least one game this season have posted at least one point.

Don't Call it a Comeback
As a team, the Nooks rank sixth in the conference in scoring, averaging 2.56 goals per game. Alaska currently leads the conference in unassisted goals (7), goals in ties (8) and goals when trailing (22).

Special Teams Specialty
Alaska has scored at least one power play goal in 13 of their 18 games this season, being held to zero power play goals in just five contests throughout the 2016-17 season. Alaska ranks second in the conference in power play goals for with 18 and power play goals for per games played with a 1.00 average.

Saturdays are for the Boys
Friday's seem to be a problem for the Nanooks hockey team, as they have a 0-7-1 record on Friday nights, but hold a 5-3-1 mark on Saturdays. The Nooks are currently 1-2-1 in December, with their best month of play coming in October, as they posted a 3-5-1 record – their most wins in a given month so far. Additionally, Alaska is 4-1-0 when leading at second intermission, 1-0-0 when tied at second intermission and 0-10-2 when trailing at second intermission.

Scouting the Opponent – Bowling Green
The Falcons fell to Michigan Tech in back-to-back conference games last weekend, but freshman goaltender Ryan Bednard posted a career-high 29 saves when faced with 31 shots last Saturday. Bednard now leads the BGSU Falcons with a save percentage of .901 and a 2.41 goals against average.

Junior forward Mitchell McClain currently sits second in the conference with his 0.53 goals per game average and ranks fourth in the WCHA with 1.05 points per game.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks hockey team, follow @NanooksHockey on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Hockey team page on Facebook.