Anchorage Daily News

The problem with making just a couple of blunders against a dynamic, nationally ranked hockey team is that it's usually the equivalent of dragging a skate blade across your throat.

The Seawolves learned that again Friday night, when they played decently against Denver but suffered severely for their occasional transgressions and fell 3-2 before an announced crowd of just 2,875 at Sullivan Arena.

UAA's third straight Western Collegiate Hockey Association loss featured an own-goal that robbed it of momentum and the lead, a power-play strike it surrendered after a ricochet turned righteous for the Pioneers, and a turnover that led to Denver's game-winning goal.

"Some crazy plays tonight, but over the season that averages out,'' said Seawolves senior goaltender Jon Olthuis, not one for excuses.

Denver (6-2-1, 4-0-1 WCHA), ranked No. 2 in one national poll and No. 3 in another, used two goals from Rhett Rakhshani and 22 saves from freshman goaltender Adam Murray of Anchorage to extend its unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1).

The evening began promisingly for the Seawolves (3-6-0, 1-4-0 WCHA).

They kept the Pioneers in check for the first period and didn't even give up a shot on goal until nearly 10 minutes were played.

And they earned a 1-0 lead less than seven minutes into the second period when junior winger Sean Wiles took a 2-on-1 feed from freshman winger Mickey Spencer and flicked a wrister over Murray's glove.

Just 22 seconds after that strike, the Seawolves went on the power play when Denver freshman defenseman William Wrenn of Anchorage was sentenced to two minutes for cross-checking Wiles into Murray.

But that's when things began to unravel for the home team. Olthuis rebuffed Jesse Martin's short-handed shot from the right wing and UAA sophomore Curtis Leinweber, a defenseman by trade who played wing for most of the night but was back on the blue line for the power play, swatted at the loose rebound in an attempt to clear the puck. Alas for the Seawolves, Leinweber's attempted clearing bid went directly at Olthuis, glanced off his skate and into his net for a tying goal credited to Martin.

"One in a million,'' Olthuis said.

Denver earned its first lead during a two-man advantage later in the period. Pioneers sophomore Joe Colborne swept a shot along the ice from the slot. The puck appeared to hit UAA defenseman Nils Backstrom and ricocheted directly to Denver's Anthony Maiani at the right post. Maiani steered a quick pass through the wickets of UAA captain Jared Tuton and found Rakhshani at the left post, where he had a tap-in behind Olthuis for a 2-1 lead the Pioneers never surrendered.

"They got the bounces tonight, and that's not taking anything away from them, because they're a very good team,'' Tuton said. "But they did get the bounces, and it's tough to swallow.

"We can't beat ourselves up too much. We played well. We didn't play extremely well, but pretty good. We'll be better (tonight).''

Still, trailing by just one goal with more than a period to play, the Seawolves weren't in a terrible position.

But things got worse less than four minutes into the third period. UAA freshman defenseman Lee Baldwin's hard breakout pass from behind his own net landed on the stick blade of Colborne, a Boston Bruins first-round draft pick stationed in the left circle. Colborne quickly relayed a pass across the slot to Rakhshani, a fourth-round New York Islanders pick who buried his 45th career goal for a 3-1 lead.

Meanwhile, Murray, a true freshman, held steady on his way to 22 saves in his homecoming. He figured he might be a bit anxious playing at home but said his nerves were only minor as the game began.

"Surprisingly, not as bad as I thought,'' Murray said. "I had the comfort of friends and family, and that helped a lot.''

Still, the Seawolves made the last minute interesting. With Olthuis (16 saves) off for an extra attacker, defenseman Luka Vidmar, back after missing five games with a groin injury, took a drop pass from Craig Parkinson and scored on a wrist shot from atop the right circle to cut Denver's cushion to 3-2.

"I had it tracked, and it went off a stick or a leg, and went five-hole,'' Murray said. "Luckily, we still carried out a great game and got the win.''

Seawolves notes

• The Seawolves went 0 for 5 on the power play and have scored just twice in 29 power-play opportunities in their five league games. They have scored just six goals overall in those matches.

• Denver has gone 11-0-2 at Sullivan Arena since UAA beat the Pioneers 2-1 in the building on Jan. 29, 2000.

• The first-line trio of center Josh Lunden and wingers Kevin Clark and Tommy Grant -- the program's top three active career goal scorers -- has hit a rough patch. Lunden hasn't scored a goal in six games and Grant has come up empty in eight straight. Clark, who leads UAA with four goals, has scored once in the last five games.

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

Denver 0 2 1 -- 3

UAA 0 1 1 -- 2

First Period -- None. Penalties -- Ruegsegger, DU (hooking), 3:39; Hunt, UAA (cross-checking), 14:22.

Second Period -- 1, UAA, Wiles 1 (Spencer, Naslund), 6:38; 2, DU, Martin 4, 7:28 (sh); 3, DU, Rakhshani 5 (Maiani, Colborne), 15:46 (pp). Penalties -- Wrenn, DU (cross-checking), 7:00; Gellert, UAA (slashing), 10:43; Crowell, UAA (elbowing, contact to head), 14:18.

Third Period -- 4, DU, Rakhshani 6 (Colborne), 3:51; 5, UAA, Vidmar 1 (Parkinson), 19:23. Penalties -- Haddad, UAA (holding), 5:25; Shore, DU (interference), 7:38; Haddad, UAA (tripping), 8:27; Shore, DU (interference), 7:38; Wrenn, DU (hooking), 11:55; Lee, DU (cross-checking), 13:13; Gellert, UAA (slashing), 14:06; Lee, DU (hooking), 16:53.

Shots on goal -- DU 7-7-5--19. UAA 5-9-10--24.

Power-play Opportunities -- DU 1 of 7; UAA 0 of 5.

Goalies -- DU, Murray, 2-2-1 (24 shots-22 saves). UAA, Olthuis, 2-3-0 (19-16).

A -- 2,875 (6,251). T -- 2:13.

Referees -- Justin Brown, Brett Klosowski. Assistant referees -- Scott Sivulich, Steve Glines.

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