Will UAA or UAF get the last word?

First off, is it really even a rivalry lately? Not to put too fine a point on it, but no current Seawolves player even knows what it's like to lose to the Nanooks. UAA has won the last three Cups and is 8-0-2 against UAF in that span.

Last season, the Nanooks couldn't even muster a goal in two games against the Seawolves. UAA goaltender Bryce Christianson delivered two shutouts, although he apparently has since been relocated to college hockey's version of the Witness Protection Program -- the guy hasn't played a minute since Dec. 5.

Of course, it's not like the Seawolves haven't endured a drought in Governor's Cup history, which is tied 8-8. UAF won five straight Cups from 2002-2006. In 2004, the Nanooks gave the Seawolves and their fans the ultimate face-wash. Not only did they win the Cup on UAA's home ice at Sullivan Arena, but their traveling fans drowned out UAA supporters, who by comparison sounded like they were attending a poetry reading -- the old-school kind, not a poetry slam.

That prompted some all-time money quotes from forward Chris Fournier, who grew up in Anchorage. Among the gems: "If you were blindfolded and taken to this arena, you would not have known who was home and who was away,'' and "We might as well have played the games in Fairbanks.''

On the other hand, UAA fans like to boast that the Seawolves play in the toughest league in the country. And, true, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association currently has its swagger on with five teams ranked in the top 10. Although UAF fans can muster a rink rebuttal: Yes, evidently it is a very difficult league, Seawolves, because you keep finishing so far down the standings you must get a collective neck spasm looking up to see the other clubs.

Seawolves fans also like to belittle UAF's league, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, which they believe possesses all the depth of a dinner plate. To wit: Only one team currently ranks in the top 10.

Still, Nanooks fans would note, at least UAF has actually been the home team for a first-round league playoff series. The Nanooks have played host three times and they have made it to the league's championship round in Detroit three times since joining the circuit in the 1995-96 season. UAA, by contrast, has never played host to a first-round WCHA series and only once since joining the league in 1993-94 has won a first-round series and advanced to the WCHA Final Five.

UAF (14-9-9) sits fourth in the 12-team CCHA. UAA (10-18-2) sits eighth in the 10-team WCHA. Make of it what you will.

The Nanooks appear headed toward their sixth winning season in the 2000s, though UAA fans no doubt would point out that such a track record is not that remarkable given their belief CCHA stands for CupCake Hockey Association.

But if you're a Nanooks supporter, you might chirp the Seawolves to mix in a winning season every decade or so. UAA is headed toward its 17th consecutive losing campaign, which represents the longest current stretch of futility in Division I.

The Nanooks can pump their own tires by pointing out they are actually ranked -- 17th in the latest USCHO.com poll -- and are 11th in the PairWise Rankings, which mimic seedings for the NCAA tournament. Yet Seawolves fans can counter: Yes, that must be a terribly grinding schedule, playing a whopping seven of 32 games against ranked opponents. UAA has played 15 of its 30 games against ranked teams.

While UAA and UAF have not played this season until now, the teams have crossed paths. Each played in the other's early-season tournament. Nanooks fans can point out that their club not only won UAA's season-opening Kendall Hockey Classic, it also seized UAF's Brice Alaska Goal Rush the following weekend.

But the teams finally meet this weekend -- tonight at Sullivan, Saturday night at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks -- and at stake is the Governor's Cup, so we'll give the current Cup owners the last word.

That's a UAA reminder to UAF that the Nanooks did not even manage a goal in two Cup games against the Seawolves last season.

So, going back to the 2007-08 season, UAF's goal drought against UAA is at 144 minutes, 5 seconds, and counting.

This column is the opinion of Daily News reporter Doyle Woody. Find his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.