FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks hockey team fell in their season opener to the RV Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. The 5-1 loss drops Alaska to 0-1 on the season. 

How it Happened
UMD got on the board three times in the first period tonight to take a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Hunter Anderson tallied the first of the night, just 1:59 into the first, redirecting a shot in the slot. 5:35 later, the Bulldogs found the back of the net again, this time on a Zam Plante goal. Max Plante added the third of the period 16:49 into the first, making it a 3-0 deficit for Alaska.

Early into the second, Ty Hanson extended the UMD lead to 4-0, crashing hard on the Nanooks' net and scoring on a rebound opportunity. The 4-0 UMD lead carried into the third, but Braden Birnie scored the first goal of the season for the Nanooks 10:49 into the final stanza. Dylan Sydor picked up his first-career NCAA goal with the primary assist and Noah Barlage tallied the secondary. Birnie fired a shot from the faceoff circle and beat UMD netminder Adam Gajan, cutting the deficit to three. Unfortunately, it was too much to overcome as Minnesota Duluth netted an empty-netter to grab the 5-1 victory. 

Inside the Numbers

• Lassi Lehti ended the night with 20 saves in goal for Alaska. He made nine in the first and second, and six in the third. 
• Alaska managed 16 shots-on-goal in their opener. 
• Both sides picked up 10 blocked shots. Nathan Rickey was the biggest sponge for the Nanooks, blocking three shots. Peyton Platter followed with a pair of blocks. 
• Chase Dafoe led the 'Nooks in the faceoff circle, winning 10 of 18 bouts. As a team, the Nanooks won 24 of 52 faceoffs.
• Both sides were perfect on the penalty kill as UMD held the Nanooks off the board on three kills while the Nanooks went 4-4 on the kill. 

What's to Come
The Nanooks and Bulldogs meet again tomorrow in the Carlson Center at 7:07 p.m. Tomorrow's game is sponsored by Kinross Alaska and we've partnered with BCDC of Alaska to bring you Go Pink! with the Nanooks. The first 2,000 fans in attendance receive a pink Alaska Nanooks Kinross Alaska scarf! 

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