FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks hockey team (0-0-1) tied the AIC Yellow Jackets (0-0-1) in their regular-season opener. The two teams play again tomorrow evening at 4:07 p.m. at the Carlson Center.
Simon Falk got the scoring started early for the Nanooks as the sophomore forward netted the first goal of the 2022-23 regular-season.
Brayden Nicholetts put a shot on net that rebounded off American International goaltender Jarrett Fiske. After the puck found its way out of the crease, Falk was there to clean it up, slotting it home 11:51 into the period for the early 1-0 lead. In the first, AIC outshot the 'Nooks 10-7, but it was the Nanooks who took the lead into the intermission.
In the second, neither side scored, but both sides had plenty of opportunity, as AIC went 0-3 on the power play and the Nanooks went 0-2 on the man-advantage. Each team also put six shots-on-goal. Unfortunately for the Nanooks, one of their missed opportunities came on a five-minute major called on AIC. Nico Somerville went to the box 15:38 into the second for a hitting from behind penalty that carried into the start of the third. Following that penalty kill, the Yellow Jackets struck early into the third period.
With only 1:14 off the clock, AIC's Jordan Biro tied the game at 1-1. Brett Rylance played the puck to Biro off of a stopped shot and Biro snuck it past Nanooks' netminder,
Matt Radomsky, on the wraparound attempt.
The 1-1 tie took both teams to an extra period of hockey. Despite the fast-paced 3v3 OT period, neither side was able to lock up the win, so they went to a shootout. AIC took the shootout win after just one shot. Josh Barnes beat Radomsky making it 1-0 in the three-man shootout.
Brady Risk,
Chase Dubois and
Anton Rubtsov were then shutdown in order by AIC goalie, Jarrett Fiske.
Radomsky ended the night with 27 saves in his Nanooks debut while
Cade Neilson tallied his first-career point with the secondary assist on Falk's first-period goal.
The game officially ended in a tie and the Nanooks and AIC both started 22-23, 0-0-1.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks hockey team, follow @NanooksHockey on Instagram or Twitter, or like the Alaska Nanooks Hockey team page on Facebook.
