DULUTH, Minn. - The Alaska Nanooks hockey team improved to 7-9-4 with a 2-1 OT victory over Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, Jan. 4.

How it Happened
After skating to a 0-0 tie through the opening 20 minutes, it was the Nanooks who struck first in Duluth on a Matt Hubbarde tally. Kyle Gaffney skated into the attacking zone before dropping the puck to Hubbarde in the slot, the forward fired a quick shot past UMD netminder Klayton Knapp to make it 1-0 Nanooks 9:50 into the second period. 

Unfortunately, UMD struck after nearly 59 minutes of shutout hockey by the Nanooks and goalie Nicholas Grabko. Blake Bechen found the equalizer with only 1:02 remaining in the third period, making it 1-1 and sending the game to overtime for the second-straight night. In the overtime period, the first shot on goal came from UMD, 1:46 into the five-minute period. Carter Loney was found all alone and had a one-on-one against Grabko, but the Nanooks netminder made the save, giving the Nanooks time to set up for the game-winner. 25 seconds later, Broten Sabo found the winner. 

Kyle Gaffney found Sabo at center ice on a drop pass, and Sabo took the rest from there. He entered the zone with a nifty move at the blue line, opening up a 2-on-1 scenario; instead of finding the slashing Nanook, Sabo took the shot from Knapp's right and beat the goalie for the 2-1 win 2:11 into the OT period. 

Inside the Numbers

• Alaska went 0-2 on the power play tonight, managing only one shot-on-goal while on the man-advantage. The penalty kill was strong for the Nanooks as they went 3-3 and fended off eight SOG from UMD while down a man. 
• Kyle Gaffney picked up his team-leading fourth multipoint game tonight. He assisted on both goals scored by the Nanooks. He now has 13 points to lead the 'Nooks.
• Broten Sabo's game-winner in OT gives him three game-winning goals this year. This was his second OT game-winner of the year. 
• Grabko made 39 saves in tonight's contest. He made 13 in the first, 12 in the second, 13 in the third and one in OT. 
• Chase Dafoe won 9-17 faceoffs tonight to lead the Nanooks. 
• Alaska blocked nine shots in the victory. Carson Reed and Sabo both blocked a pair of shots. 
• The Nanooks posted only 10 SOG tonight. That total is the least in a game since Jan. 3, 2020 when they managed only seven at Minnesota State. 

What's to Come
The Nanooks return home on Jan. 10-11, their first home games of 2025. They welcome Simon Fraser to the Carlson Center.

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