MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Alaska Nanooks hockey team rolls into the 2019 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Playoffs this weekend, taking on the Northern Michigan Wildcats in a best-of-three quarterfinal series this Friday, Mar. 8 and Saturday, Mar. 9, with Sunday, Mar. 10 serving as game three if necessary. Each of this weekend's games will take place at the Berry Events Center in Marquette, with puck-drop slated for 3:07pm AKST each day.
Where to Watch & Listen
Fans who cannot make this weekend's games in Marquette can stream the game live on FloHockey.tv, as well as every postseason contest for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. Longtime Nanook hockey commentator Bruce Cech will be live from the Berry Events Center in Marquette on KSUA 91.5 FM in Fairbanks or anywhere online at ksuaradio.com in the link posted above.
Last Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks hockey team concluded the 2018-19 regular season on the road last weekend, earning a conference sweep over in-state rival Alaska Anchorage. The Nanooks shutout the Seawolves 4-0 on Friday before scoring two third period power play goals to seal the comeback with a 2-1 victory on Saturday. The pair of wins also clinched the coveted Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup, with the Nooks earning their seventh-straight title.
WCHA Standings
The Nanooks close-out the regular season with a 12-14-2-2 mark in conference play, earning 40 WCHA points through 28 league games. Alaska finished the season placing seventh in the conference standings, one seed higher than the 2017-18 season. The Nooks surpassed last season's conference point total by 10 points this season and also earned three more conference victories than the 2017-18 campaign.
The Postseason Hunt Begins
Now that the 2018-19 regular season has concluded, the 2019 WCHA Playoffs and the hunt for the Jeff Sauer WCHA Championship trophy are in full effect. The seeding and playoff matchups are listed below:
- No. 8 Alabama-Huntsville at No. 1 Minnesota State
- No. 7 Alaska at No. 2 Northern Michigan
- No. 6 Michigan Tech at No. 3 Bowling Green
- No. 5 Bemidji State at No. 4 Lake Superior State
We Meet Again
This weekend's quarterfinal series against Northern Michigan will be the third and fourth meeting between the Nanooks and the Wildcats this season, as NMU travelled to Fairbanks for a two-game WCHA series Jan. 4-5. Northern Michigan walked away with a road sweep over the Nooks, defeating Alaska 4-0 on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday.
All-Time Series
All-time against Northern Michigan, Alaska trails the series record 13-40-12, posting a 3-22-7 mark in games in Marquette. The first-ever meeting between the two programs resulted in an 8-6 loss for the Nanooks on the road on Dec. 1, 1989. Alaska is currently riding a four-game losing streak to the Wildcats, with their last victory coming as a 4-1 decision at home on Nov. 18, 2017.
This is the first-ever postseason meeting between Northern Michigan and Alaska since the Nanooks joined the WCHA in the 2013-14 season. Alaska has only faced Alaska Anchorage (1), Michigan Tech (1), Minnesota State Mankato (2) in the postseason since joining the conference, missing the 2014-15 playoffs due to NCAA infractions.
Shut It Down
The Nanooks are 3-1-1-1 in their last five games and 6-3-1-1-1 in their last 10. The Nanooks shutout No. 4 MSU on Feb. 23 (1-0) before earning another shutout victory over UAA on Mar. 1 (4-0). It was the first time the Alaska Nanooks hockey team has posted back-to-back shutout wins since Nov. 25-26, 2011 against Bowling Green (3-0, 2-0). Junior netminder
Anton Martinsson was in goal for both shutouts, earning his first and second of the season, totaling three through his career.
Martinsson Named NCAA Third Star of the Week
On Tuesday, the NCAA named junior goaltender
Anton Martinsson the Division I men's ice hockey third start of the week for his weekend performance against Alaska Anchorage. Martinsson backstopped the Nooks to a road sweep over the Seawolves and led the WCHA in goals against average (0.50) and save percentage (.978) and tied for first in minutes (120:00), wins (2) and shutouts (1). The Klippan, Sweden native made 46 saves off of 47 shots.
Intermission Edge
The Nanooks are 9-7-3 in games that they break open the scoring and 3-12-0 in contests where their opponent scores first. So far this season, Alaska is 5-0-3 when leading at the first intermission, 1-10-0 when trailing at the first intermission and 6-9-0 when tied after 20 minutes. Additionally, Alaska is 7-1-2 when leading at the second intermission, 2-18-0 when trailing and 3-0-1 when tied after 40 minutes.
Seven of 10
In sophomore forward
Steven Jandric's last 10 games, the Prince George, British Columbia native has registered at least one point in seven of those contests. S. Jandric has chipped in two goals and eight assists for 10 points in 10 games, including two game-winning points and two multi-point efforts. S. Jandric continues to lead the Nanooks in scoring (22), goals (8), assists (14), points per games played (0.65), power play assists (9), power play points (12) and game-winning goals (3).
Hope-ing for More
Junior forward
Kylar Hope is quietly making marks on the Alaska scoresheet, having tallied five points in the Nanooks' last five games. Since Feb. 16's overtime tie at Bowling Green, Hope has posted two goals and three assists, including one game-winning goal. The Lashburn, Saskatchewan native also scored in double-overtime on Feb. 16's game in BG, giving the Nooks the extra conference point although he will not receive credit for the goal.
Scouting the Opponent – Northern Michigan Wildcats
Northern Michigan finished the 2018-19 regular season with a home-and-home series against Michigan Tech, earning a 4-2 victory on the road on Friday before posting a 3-0 win at home on Saturday, extending their winning streak to four games. Offense has been on the Wildcats' side all season, with nine of their active skaters registering double-digit figures, three of which have 30-or-more points. Senior forward Troy Loggins leads his teammates in scoring, boasting 22 goals and 15 assists for a team-high 37 points. In net, senior goaltender Atte Tolvanen has registered a 19-14-2 record, a .920 save percentage and a 2.25 goals against average. Tolvanen has also contributed an impressive five shutouts this season.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks hockey team, follow @NanooksHockey on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Hockey team page on Facebook.
