Travis Novak, a 22-year-old junior at the Minnesota school, lay motionless on the ice at Sullivan Arena at the end of the second period of St. Cloud State's 4-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association win over the Seawolves.
Novak's head appeared to strike the boards after he pivoted toward the barrier and was rubbed out by UAA defenseman Brad Gorham.
Novak remained down on the ice for about 25 minutes -- he was treated by trainers from both teams and a doctor on hand -- before an emergency medical crew arrived and took him off the ice on a backboard strapped to a gurney.
"He was scared,'' said St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko. "Lots of emotions going through -- it wasn't good out there.''
The announced crowd of 2,780 stood and clapped as Novak was taken off the rink.
"Please send out some good thoughts,'' said public address announcer Lyle Woods.
The Huskies boarded a bus after the game and went to check on their teammate, who was reportedly taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center.
Late Saturday night, Motzko told St. Cloud Times correspondent Matt Nevala that Novak did not suffer serious injury and had been medically cleared to fly home with the team on its scheduled flight this morning.
Whether Novak would travel today had not been decided, Motzko said.
Novak's injury proved especially chilling given recent events in the WCHA.
University of Denver player Jesse Martin three weeks ago was knocked unconscious in a game and suffered a fractured vertebra that required surgery. He is walking again, though his hockey future is uncertain.
The play that felled Novak, of Lethbridge, Alberta, was innocent by the standards of a sport that features violent collisions at high speeds and is played on a rink surrounded by hard boards and Plexiglass.
Just before the horn blared to end the second period -- the game was tied 2-2 at that point -- Novak gained possession of the puck along the boards in the Huskies' zone. He appeared to pivot toward the boards and dip his head just as Gorham came from behind and made relatively gentle contact.
The move Gorham employed is known in the game as a "rub-out,'' far shy of a body-banging check. The contact appeared to knock Novak, who was close to the boards, into the barrier head-first.
"It was the worst thing you can have in athletics, especially with what the boy (Martin) went through,'' Motzko said.
UAA coach Dave Shyiak said he walked down the hallway that connects the locker rooms for the Seawolves and the visitors to check with Motzko and his staff before the third period.
"Your first thought is for the young man,'' Shyiak said. "You just hope the young man's OK.''
Gorham was not initially penalized on the play. Prior to the start of the third period he was issued a major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct, which is an automatic ejection. Gorham, a junior from Anchorage, declined to comment.
St. Cloud State captain Aaron Marvin said the situation was difficult but that he and his teammates carried on because they figured Novak, who Marvin described as "just a great kid,'' would insist they do so.
"It's always tough,'' Marvin said. "It's an accident. No one is trying to hurt anyone, and you hope he's OK.''
The major penalty issued to Gorham was UAA's second in a span of less than three minutes. UAA freshman Matt Bailey received a major penalty and game misconduct for checking from behind.
Those penalties afforded the Huskies a two-man advantage they turned into Jared Festler's go-ahead goal and a subsequent one-man advantage that led to Cam Reid's goal. Reid's goal turned into the game winner after UAA freshman Mark Pustin scored his first career goal, on a power play midway through the period, and the Huskies managed to hold off a Seawolves team that seemed poise to strike for the equalizer.
"You've got to focus,'' Marvin said. "That's what (Novak) would want.''
Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
St. Cloud 1 1 2 -- 4 UAA 2 0 1-- 3
First Period -- 1, SCS, LeBlanc 4 (Reid, Dowd), 2:12; 2, UAA, Kwas 2 (Bailey, Vidmar), 8:05 (pp); 3, UAA, Bruijsten 3 (Parkinson), 11:30. Penalties -- Johnson, SCS (cross-checking), 7:22; Parkinson, UAA (elbowing), 9:12; Bruijsten, UAA (hooking), 16:14.
Second Period -- 4, SCS, LeBlanc 5 (Dowd), 2:07. Penalties -- Cameron, UAA (elbowing), 2:42; Bailey, UAA (interference), 8:56; Dowd, SCS (interference), 11:51; Bailey, UAA, major-game misconduct (checking from behind), 17:18; Gorham, UAA, major-game misconduct, served by Naslund (checking from behind), 20:00.
Third Period -- 5, SCS, Festler 6 (LeBlanc, Roe), 1:40 (pp); 6, SCS, Reid 3 (Johnson, Barta), 4:12 (pp); 7, UAA, Pustin 1 (Naslund, Warner), 9:05 (pp). Penalties -- Hepp, SCS (holding), 8:01.
Shots on goal -- SCS 8-8-8--24. UAA 11-7-7--25.
Power-play Opportunities -- SCS 2 of 8; UAA 2 of 3.
Goalies -- SCS, Dunn, 2-3-1 (25 shots-22 saves). UAA, Kamal, 1-3-1 (24-20).
A -- 2,780 (6,251). T -- 2:48.
Referees -- Max Battimo, Justin Brown. Assistant referees -- Scott Sivulich, Carl Saden.
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