ST. CLOUD, Minn. - The Alaska Nanooks hockey team is set to play their third-straight ranked opponent to start the 2023-24 season. They'll face the #20/18-ranked St. Cloud State Huskies this weekend before going into their first bye week next week.
Media Notes (PDF)
Friday, Oct. 20
at St. Cloud State | 4:30 p.m. ASKT
Herb Brooks National Hockey Center
Saturday, Oct. 21
at St. Cloud State | 3:00 p.m. ASKT
Herb Brooks National Hockey Center
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Last Time Out (at Michigan Tech, T, 2-2 OT)
Just like Friday night, Michigan Tech struck first and held a 1-0 lead after the first period. 18:19 into the first, Logan Pietila was in the right place at the right time, slotting home a rebound off of a Chase Pietila shot. The goal came on the power play and made it 1-0 MTU. Only 1:33 into the second, the Nanooks found their equalizer. After
Cade Neilson played the puck to
Braden Birnie, the sophomore found
Brayden Nicholetts for his second-straight game with a goal. Over 10 minutes later
Anton Rubtsov found his second goal in as many games as well, making it 2-1 Nanooks on the power play.
T.J. Lloyd and Brady Risk were awarded the assists.
The 2-1 lead stood through the end of the second but MTU found the final equalizer 4:10 into the third. Logan Pietila slotted his second goal of the game to make it 2-2. The two sides were tied at the end of regulation, taking Alaska to their first overtime game of the season. In the extra period, Pierce Charleson saved all four shots-on-goal while the Nanooks put a pair of shots on net; both shots were saved by Blake Pietila in goal for the Huskies.
Neither side found the game-winner and the game officially ended in a tie. The two sides participated in a shootout and MTU made two of their three attempts and the 'Nooks made one of their three.
Meet the Opponents
- The St. Cloud State Huskies enter this weekend #20 (USCHO) and #18 (USA Hockey) in the latest polls. They were selected to finish third in the 2023-24 NCHC Preseason Poll, receiving 155 points and two first-place votes.
- They are fresh off of being swept by the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks. In game one, SCSU fell 3-2 before dropping night two and the series, 5-1.
- Earlier in the season the Huskies split their season-opening series with St. Thomas in a home-and-home series. They opened up at home, falling 5-4 in OT before traveling to Minneapolis for a matchup on the Tommies' home ice where they grabbed a 1-0 win.
- SCSU is 4-17 on the power-play this season, a conversion percentage of 23.5%, they are also 80% on the penalty kill, allowing three PPG on 15 attempts.
- In their first four games, the Huskies have scored the first goal three times, they've also tallied a pair of goals while having an extra attacker on the ice.
- Their averaging 11.25 blocked shots per game, well below their opponent average of 16 blocked shots per game.
- They are averaging 13 penalty minutes a game this season, they've taken 19 for 52 minutes while their opponents have been called for 20 for 40 minutes.
- Finally, SCSU has lost over 50% of their faceoffs this season. They have 107 wins and 118 losses and are currently winning 47.6% of their bouts.
#NookNotes
- Alaska is fresh off of a 1-0-1 trip to #9/10 Michigan Tech - they took game one 4-1 with four unanswered goals in the second period before tying game two 2-2. A non-result shootout took place after the overtime period and MTU won that 2-1.
- This is the Nanooks' third-straight week of facing a ranked opponent. They opened the season with #4/5 Denver at home (swept by the Pioneers) before going to #9/10 Michigan Tech. They'll now face #20/18 St. Cloud State.
- This is the Nanooks' first time back at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center since the 2017-18 season. They fell to SCSU on Oct. 13-14, 2017 6-3 and 5-4. These two teams met the following year in Fairbanks but the 'Nooks dropped both of those games as well, 3-2 and 6-2. Those games were played 10/12-13/2018.
- The Nanooks have won 117 and lost 108 faceoffs this season. They are currently winning in the FO circle at a 52% rate. Harrison Israels is leading the way for the 'Nooks with a .552 win percentage in the circle, winning 37 of his 67 bouts this year.
- Israels leads the Nanooks in the goal scoring department with four goals this year. He has a pair of two-goal games, including a two-goal performance on Oct. 13 at Michigan Tech that saw him score a power-play goal and a short-handed goal.
- Brady Risk leads the 'Nooks in scoring with five goals, all coming from assists. He led the Nanooks in goal scoring a year ago and is now distributing at a high-rate. Two of his assists have been on Israels' goals.
- Chase Dubois netted a pair of goals in the second night loss to Denver on Sunday, Oct. 8, he's only taken three shots-on-goal this season, giving him a .667 shot percentage, a team-high through four games.
- Pierce Charleson has made an appearance in four games for the Nanooks this season, starting in three. He grabbed his first win in the blue and gold on Friday, Oct. 13 at Tech with a 4-1 win. His 22 saves on 23 attempts helped bring his GAA down to a 2.92 and raised his save percentage up to an .883%.
- 15 Nanooks have recorded a point through four games including Chase Dafoe, who recorded his first-career point on opening-night, assisting on Israels' second goal of the game.
- The Nanooks are split on who scores first this season. They scored first in both Denver losses while MTU scored first in both games last weekend. Both nights at Tech saw the Nanooks down 1-0 after the first period. They scored a total of six goals in the second period between the two nights.
- The four-goal second period on night one was the first four-goal period for Alaska since March 4 of last season when they defeated Lindenwood 8-0. The four-goal period also came in the second as the 'Nooks routed the Lions to end their season 22-10-2.
- Alaska has scored multiple goals in every game dating back to Feb. 11, 2023 when they fell to LIU 3-1.
- That is a 10-game streak with more than one goal.
- Israels is ranked 10th in the nation for goals per game. The captain is averaging 1.00 goals per game with four through four games. He leads all Independent skaters in that category. He also leads Independent skaters with one short-handed goal, good for second in the nation.
- The Nanooks have three in the top-50 for faceoff wins Israels (24th - 37), Payton Matsui (27th - 34) and Chase Dafoe (38th - 30).
- Brady Risk is 29th in the nation with 1.25 assists per game. He's second among Independent skaters, trailing Brian Chambers of Arizona State (1.50).
- Harrison Israels is captain for the second-straight season. He earned the 'C' last year, becoming the first underclassmen captain for Alaska since 1998.
- Jonny Sorenson will don the other 'C' while T.J. Lloyd, Payton Matsui and Brady Risk will wear the 'A' this season. They are all first-time captains and alternates.
- Alaska is looking for their first win over an NCHC team since Jan. 6, 2023 when they defeated Denver on the road at Magness Arena. Denver was ranked #1/2 at the time and the 'Nooks grabbed a 3-1 victory, their first ever at the Denver venue. They went 2-2-0 against NCHC teams last year, also defeating Omaha on Oct. 21, 2022 (3-2 OT) on the road.
- Largen's team is scoring a lot in the second. They have recorded seven second-period goals while scoring twice in the first and third. Alaska opponents have scored five goals in each period. The Nanooks are putting the most shots-on-goal in the final 20 minutes. They've posted 36 SOG in the third, 34 in the first and 33 in the second.
What's Next
- This weekend's matchup with the Huskies will lead the Nanooks into back-to-back bye weeks. They will not be in action again until Nov. 3-4 at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks when Alaska Anchorage comes to town for the first leg of the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup. The Nanooks have won the Governor's Cup 12-straight times and won it again last season, going 6-0-0 against the Seawolves.
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