That sits especially well with Nanooks bench boss Dallas Ferguson. The former Nanooks blueliner knows the Fairbanks-Anchorage rivalry intimately -- he experienced it as a college athlete, and he had plenty of former Seawolves as teammates when he played professionally for the Anchorage Aces back in the day.
So, two tournament titles in Anchorage and consecutive 2-0 starts at Sullivan Arena in his two seasons as head coach left him all smiles.
"It definitely gives me a little bit of bragging rights,'' Ferguson said. "The big one's in February, though. That's what's for bragging rights.''
Ferguson was referring to the annual Governor's Cup series between UAA and UAF. And as Seawolves partisans would be quick to point out, UAA has won its last six games against UAF at Sullivan.
The Nanooks, who Friday knocked off nationally ranked and fellow Central Collegiate Hockey Association member Michigan 2-0, prospered Saturday behind 20 saves from sophomore goaltender Scott Greenham. He has played three career games at Sullivan, all in the Classic, and surrendered just one goal. He is 3-0-0 in the Classic with two shutouts, a 0.33 goals-against average and .982 save percentage.
UAF senior Dion Knelsen, last year's Most Outstanding Player in the Kendall, and freshman linemate Andy Taranto each bagged one goal and two assists.
The Nanooks also struck twice on the power play in the second period after Scott Pitt of Mercyhurst (0-2-0) received a five-minute major for boarding UAF's Derek Klassen. The power-play strikes came from Taranto, off a Knelsen goal-mouth feed, and sophomore defenseman Cody Butcher, an Anchorage native who racked his first college goal.
UAF's other goals came from winger Ron Meyers, who also spearheaded his club's perfect penalty killing in the tournament, and defenseman Scott Enders.
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UAF 5, Mercyhurst 1
UAF 0 4 1 -- 5
Mercyhurst 0 0 1 -- 1
First Period -- None. Penalties -- Enders, UAF (hooking), 3:49; B. Molle, UAF (slashing), 7:18; Cardwell, UAF (hooking), 13:36; Terminisi, Mercyhurst (hooking), 15:00.
Second Period -- 1, UAF, Taranto 1 (D. Knelsen, Sather), 1:46 (pp); 2, UAF, Butcher 1 (Taranto, Sova), 5:01 (pp); 3, UAF, D. Knelson 1 (Taranto), 12:31; 4, UAF, Meyers 1, 19:58. Penalties -- Pitt, Mercyhurst, major (boarding), 1:25; Taranto, UAF (goaltender interference), 10:16.
Third Period -- 5, Mercyhurst, Elliott 1 (Noble), 3:11; 6, UAF, Enders 1 (D. Knelsen), 9:20. Penalties -- None.
Shots on goal -- Mercyhurst 7-3-11--21. UAF 11-7-13--31.
Power-play Opportunities - Mercyhurst 0 of 4; UAF 2 of 4.
Goalies -- Mercyhurst, Zapolski 0-2-0 (16 shots-13 saves); Strang, 12:31 2nd (15-13). UAF, Greenham 2-0-0 (21-20).
A -- 3,811 (6,251). T -- 2:09.
Referee -- Don Adam, Jon Campion. Linesmen -- Kent Asplund, Travis Jackson.
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