FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Alaska hockey redshirt-senior Justin Woods has been named the team captain for the 2017-18 season, as announced by head coach Lance West and his staff on Thursday night. Woods becomes the program's first-ever team captain who's a hometown product of Fairbanks.

In addition to the announcement of Woods' captaincy, fellow seniors Zach Frye and Tayler Munson will serve as alternate captains for the Nanooks this season. Both Woods and Frye served as alternate captains throughout the 2016-17 season.

Woods, a 6-foot-2, 214-pound defenseman was voted team captain by his teammates and inherits the "C" from former Nanook hockey forward Brandon Morley. The Fairbanks native received the Alaska Hockey team's Overall Strongman Award earlier this month, after breaking and re-setting a new weightlifting record that was previously upheld for over a decade.

Last season, Woods appeared in 30 games for the Nanooks and tallied three goals and nine assists for 12 points while also collecting four multi-point games. At the Alaska Nanooks hockey end-of-the-season banquet, Woods and Frye were co-recipients of the Shawn Chambers Top Defenseman of the Year award.

Woods took a medical redshirt year through the 2014-15 season after being diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Woods successfully defeated the cancer and returned to the ice for the 2015-16 season. Now a fifth-year senior, Woods graduated with his bachelor's degree in business management last May and is now studying Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

"Through the preseason, it's been very clear that Justin has earned the respect of his teammates and the coaching staff. What stands out to me the most about Justin is how he is such a strong and humble leader," West said on Thursday. "Justin not only has the ability to lead and pull others in, he teaches his teammates how to become leaders, as well."

Frye, a 6-foot-1, 218-pound blueliner, resumes his leadership responsibilities after serving as an alternate captain for the Alaska Nanooks for the past two seasons (2015-17). Last season, Frye was one of three Alaska players to appear in all 36 contests and registered a single-season career-best five goals and 15 assists for 20 points. Individually, Frye led his teammates in game-winning points (4), assists (15), power play goals (4), power play assists (6), power play points (10), shots on goal (103) and blocks (60).

In addition to being named the co-recipient of the Alaska Hockey Shawn Chambers Top Defenseman of the Year award with Woods, Frye was also selected as the Fan's Choice Player of the Year. Off the ice, Frye is a two-time Western Collegiate Hockey Association Scholar-Athlete and All-Academic Team member.

"Zach is a third-year alternate captain for us and has been looked upon for his leadership abilities since his arrival in Fairbanks four years ago," West said of Frye. "Zach has the personality and presence that naturally draws people around him to follow him. He has the physical and mental determination that all of us respect as a coaching staff and he exemplifies that in the way he plays the game."

Following the footsteps of former Nanooks Wylie Rogers ('08), Alec Hajdukovich ('16) and Woods, Munson becomes only the fourth Fairbanks native in the past 10 years to be named an alternate captain for the Alaska Nanooks hockey team.  The 6-foot-1, 185-pound center garnered the team's Preseason Most Improved award earlier this month.

Last season, Munson appeared in 28 games for the Nooks and totaled four goals and eight assists to tie a career season-high 12 points. Munson recorded three game-winning points, including two game winning goals against in-state rival Alaska Anchorage. Off the ice, Munson is a two-time WCHA All-Academic Team selection.

"It's been great to see how Tayler has taken on a leadership role this year," West concluded. "Tayler has always had a strong set of core values that make him a great role model and example to our younger players but it is especially evident in how he has stepped up in this year's preseason."

The Alaska Nanooks hockey team hosts the Simon Fraser University Clan in an exhibition game this Friday, Sept. 29 at the Carlson Center, with puck-drop slated for 7:07pm AKT. The Alaska Nanooks Ticketing Office will be hosting the Family 4-Pack deal for Friday's game, which includes four general admission tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for $50. There will also be a team autograph signing directly following the game.

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