FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks hockey team (8-14-2) earned a 5-1 win over the Long Island Sharks (11-13-1). Two goals in the first and three in the third, and strong goaltending won tonight's game for Alaska.
How it Happened
Alaska quickly jumped ahead 1-0 on a
Braden Birnie goal 6:26 into the opening period. He found the back of the net right in front of the crease, beating LIU netminder Daniel Duris for the score.
Davis Borozinskis and
Chase Dafoe earned the assists on the first goal. Birnie and Dafoe connected again 18:25 into the first, but it was Dafoe who scored this time, slashing to the front of the net before finding the twine to the left of the net.
Jackson Anderson earned the secondary as the 'Nooks took a 2-0 lead into the second period.
The second period saw a scoreless 20 minutes of skating but 1:25 into the third period, LIU cut the Nanooks' lead in half on an Anthony Lucarelli power-play goal. Noah Serdachny fired the puck on net and found Lucarelli cemented near the crease; he redirected it into the back of the net making it 2-1. 1:20 later, the Nanooks answered back, this time on a
Carson Reed rebound. After Reed put his own shot on net, the puck squeaked through LIU's goalie. Reed followed up the play and put his rebound home, making it 3-1 Nanooks 2:45 into the third.
Tommy Cronin and
Rylen Roersma tallied the apples on Reed's goal.
Nearly 10 minutes later,
Rylen Roersma scored a goal of his own to make it 4-1. The rookie earned his second point of the night after beating Duris top-shelf. Birnie earned his third point of the night with the primary assist and
Misha Danylov picked up the secondary.
Cade Ahrenholz put the finishing touches on 19:40.6 into the third on a breakaway.
Caelum Dick and
Alexander Malinowski played the puck to him before he beat Duris on the backhand making it a 5-1 final.
Inside the Numbers
- Alaska recorded 15 points in the win tonight with 11 skaters earning a point. Braden Birnie led the way with three points on a goal and two assists.
- Rylen Roersma checked in with another multipoint performance on a goal and an assist, and Chase Dafoe also finished with two points, one of each.
- Lassi Lehti earned the win in net for the Blue and Gold and stopped 22 of 23 shots tonight. He saved seven in the first, nine in the second, and six in the third.
- The Nanooks put 31 shots on net tonight. This was their fifth 30+ shot game of the season.
- Alaska was 3-4 on the penalty kill tonight but 0-4 on the power play.
- Rylen Roersma is now up to 17 points on the year with nine goals and eight assists. Braden Birnie also joins the double-digit points club with his three-point performance. He now has 11 points on four goals and seven assists.
What's Next
The Nanooks and Sharks face off again tomorrow night at 7:07 p.m. in the Carlson Center.
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