ANCHORAGE - The Alaska Nanooks hockey team officially clinched the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup for the 13th-straight season. On Saturday, Dec. 2, Alaska defeated the Seawolves of Alaska Anchorage 3-1 to take a 4-0 lead in the series and officially win the six-game series. The two teams will play home-and-home matchups in January and February 2024 to finish the season-series.
The two sides skated to a 0-0 tie after the opening 20 minutes. Alaska had three power-play opportunities but could not capitalize, getting five shots in the span of the three. Their third of the period saw four shots-on-goal while the other two combined for one total SOG. The Nanooks managed to kill both UAA opportunities. The first saw strong attack on both sides as Alaska Anchorage ended with nine SOG and the Nanooks posted 13. 3:24 into the second period
Brady Risk got the scoring started with his sixth goal of the season.
Harrison Israels and
Arvils Bergmanis were awarded the assists after Risk redirected the puck outside the crease off of a Bergmanis touch pass for the early 1-0 lead in the second. It would take nearly 16 minutes, but Risk would be the Nanook to extend their lead to 2-0. 19:12.2 into the middle stanza, the right-wing posted up in the slot and redirected a puck off of
A.J. Macaulay's stick. Bergmanis earned his second assist of the night with the secondary.
The 2-0 lead stood heading into the third. After 40 minutes of play, Nanooks' netminder,
Pierce Charleson had 17 saves and was working on five-consecutive periods of shutout hockey. Unfortunately that streak came to an end 13:54 into the third when Maximilion Helgeson capitalized on a UAA power play, making it 2-1 Alaska.
Alaska withheld the final push from Anchorage and 19:50.7 into the third,
Cade Ahrenholz put the exclamation point on the night with an empty-net goal to make it a 3-1 victory.
Pierce Charleson ended the night with 33 saves between the pipes. Over the span of the two games this weekend, he went 2-0-0 with 47 saves on 48 SOG for a .979 save percentage. Bergmanis and Risk ended the night with two points each, Bergmanis' came on assists and Risk's came on goals.
Harrison Israels,
T.J. Lloyd and
A.J. Macaulay all ended the night with one assist.
Alaska is off next weekend and welcome Augustana to the Carlson Center on Dec. 15-16 for their final home matchups of 2023.
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