UAA hockey team has tough opener

For the Seawolves to make headway in college hockey this season, their best bet is a collective effort that will allow them to become more than the sum of their parts.

This group that is check-their-ID young -- 10 freshmen and eight sophomores among 27 eligible players -- lacks a proven goaltender, does not return a double-digit goal scorer and is pegged by league coaches and media, for what that's worth, to finish 11th in the 12-team Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

At least the Seawolves have a righteous reason to adopt an us-against-them mentality.

"It's a chance for us to prove a bunch of people wrong,'' said senior winger Tommy Grant.

And prove something to themselves, as well.

UAA doesn't exactly ease into the schedule when it opens the season tonight in its Kendall Hockey Classic at Sullivan Arena. The visiting bench will be filled by the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, who are merely ranked No. 2 in the nation in two preseason national polls and favored to seize the WCHA title.

Sixth-year UAA coach Dave Shyiak, whose club went 11-23-2 last season and tied for eighth in the what was then the 12-team WCHA -- Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha have since joined the circuit -- said he could use a combined 13-15 freshmen and sophomores tonight.

"It's going to be a different-looking lineup, and new goalies,'' said Grant, a co-captain. "It's refreshing. It could be a good thing. Maybe these young guys come in against North Dakota and just play.

"Why not start off with a bang?''

The Seawolves last season struggled to score goals, and that was with departed winger Kevin Clark bagging 23 markers, which accounted for more than 26 percent of the team's scoring. Grant and senior winger Sean Wiles each scored nine goals last season. That was a breakout campaign for Wiles, who scored just three goals his first two seasons, but a comedown for Grant, who racked 15 goals as a sophomore.

Grant said he focused too much last season on scoring goals. That tunnel vision caused him to neglect the little things -- mostly defensively -- that spur scoring chances. He went minus-18 last season, second-worst on the team. On his last go-round in college, he wants to be a better two-way player, both to serve his team and serve as an example.

"I'm more focused on not having bad habits,'' he said. "That way, even if the puck isn't going in, I'm not hurting my team.''

Only four returners scored five or more goals last season. And Seawolves freshmen traditionally take baby steps -- only current NHLer Curtis Glencross has scored double-digit goals (11) as a UAA freshman in the last 10 seasons. That makes every scoring contribution critical this season.

"We've got to get scoring by committee, not just Tommy Grant, but some upperclassmen to go above and beyond last year's totals,'' Shyiak said. "And we need sophomores and freshmen to chip in. We're a team that's going to have to get goal production from throughout the lineup.''

The Seawolves also need to improve their special teams. They converted just 13.1 percent of power-play chances last season -- plus they surrendered 14 short-handed goals, the most in Division I -- and their opponents cashed in on 20.7 percent of power plays.

"In order for us to rise up in the WCHA, you've got to be able to score goals, and part of that is scoring power-play goals,'' Shyiak said. "The difference in a lot of outcomes is one goal, getting it on the power play, or getting that extra save or extra blocked shot on the penalty kill.''

Shyiak said before practice Thursday he had not yet settled on a starting goalie for tonight's opener. His choices are freshmen Rob Gunderson and Chris Kamal or junior Dusan Sidor, who has played 40 minutes in college.

Any choice gives the Seawolves what they'll give fans this season -- new faces.

Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.