FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks hockey team (2-4-2 overall, 0-1-1-1 WCHA) will return to the Carlson Center this weekend to host the Bemidji State Beavers in a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series on Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7:07pm AKT on both nights.
Where to Watch & Listen
Fans who cannot make this weekend's games in Fairbanks can stream the games live on WCHA.tv, as well as every home contest and WCHA road matchup for the remainder of the season.
Additionally, longtime Nanook hockey commentator Bruce Cech will be broadcasting live from the Carlson Center this weekend on ESPN 820 AM Fairbanks or online at 820sports.com.
Last Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks opened conference play last weekend, traveling all the way to Bowling Green, Ohio to take on the BGSU Falcons in a two-game WCHA series last Friday and Saturday. The Nanooks fell in heartbreaking fashion on Friday 2-1 but bounced back on Saturday to earn a 2-2 tie before earning the extra conference point with a sudden death shootout goal by junior forward
Chad Staley and one save by sophomore goaltender
Anton Martinsson.
All-Time Series
The Alaska Nanooks are 3-10-2 all-time against the Beavers and 1-4-1 against BSU in Fairbanks. This weekend's series will be the 16th and 17th meeting between the two programs, with the Nooks currently on a two-game losing streak to the Beavers, as they fell 1-3 in their last meeting against Bemidji on Nov. 5, 2016. The first meeting between the two teams came as a 0-12 loss for the Nanooks on Jan. 3, 1982 and Alaska's last win over the Beavers was on Nov. 13, 2015 with a 4-3 victory on the road that saw former Nanook forward
Brandon Morley register the team's last hat trick.
Of Alaska's 27-man roster, 19 active Nanooks have played at least one game against Bemidji with redshirt-senior defenseman
Justin Woods making the most appearances with 10. Woods has registered a team-high 12 shots on goal against the Beavers but it's senior defenseman
Zach Frye who leads the charge offensively, as the Spokane, Washington native currently has one goal and four assists for five points all-time against BSU, including a game-winning shorthanded tally.
Three's a Crowd
Three Nanooks are currently tied for first amongst their teammates in scoring with a pair of sophomores and a rookie forward all leading the team with seven points each. Sophomore forward
Kylar Hope (3G, 4A), sophomore forward
Colton Leiter and newcomer
Steven Jandric (1G, 6A) have each appeared in eight games for the Nooks, averaging a team-best 0.88 points per game.
Rookie Moves
Throughout the month of October, Jandric tied BGSU's Cameron Walker for points amongst all league rookies with seven after registering one goal and six assists in eight games. Jandric currently ranks first amongst all WCHA freshmen and all of his teammates in assists (6) and assists per games played (0.75).
Spreading the Wealth
Out of Alaska's 23 skaters that have appeared on the ice for the Nanooks this season, 21 have registered at least one point, including each of Alaska's four freshmen forwards.
How Swede It Is
Sophomore goaltender
Anton Martinsson has played each of Alaska's eight games this season, posting a league-leading time percentage of 99.1. Martinsson has registered 208 saves over the course of 230 shots and has a goals against average of 2.71 and a save percentage of .904.
Scouting the Opponent – Bemidji State
The Beavers visit the Nanooks after going 1-0-1-1 against the Ferris State Bulldogs in Bemidji last weekend. The Beavers are led offensively by Gerry Fitzgerald, whose collected one goal and five assists for six points in six games this season. Senior goaltender Michael Bitzer, who was recently named the WCHA's Goaltender of the Week on Monday, has played in six games for the Beavers, posting a .941 save percentage and a 1.56 goals against average.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks hockey team, follow @NanooksHockey on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Hockey team page on Facebook.
