Anchorage Daily News

UAA isn't an offensive juggernaut -- 2.33 goals per game doesn't rate as the stuff of snipers -- but compared to Minnesota right now the Seawolves look like Gretzky's Oilers.

UAA tonight opens a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at Minnesota, which has been shut out in three of its four games, including the last two.

The Golden Gophers fell 3-0 twice to visiting Denver last weekend. That marked the first time the program has been shut out in consecutive games since, oh, about three decades before Jacques Plante began wearing a goalie mask -- the wayback machine rewinds to 1930 to find previous back-to-back bagels for the Gophers. Minnesota also lost 4-0 at North Dakota in its season opener, though it managed a 3-3 tie in the rematch.

Granted, Denver and North Dakota were picked by both WCHA coaches and media to finish 1-2 in the league. Still, three goals in four games does not put the Golden in Gophers, who both groups picked to finish fourth.

Ditto for a power play that is scoreless in 20 opportunities and averaging less than one shot on goal per man advantage. And that's something, considering Minnesota coach Don Lucia's teams have averaged 22.4-percent power-play efficiency in his 10 previous seasons behind the Gophers bench.

Those are several reasons why UAA senior winger Kevin Clark thinks this could be a challenging weekend inside Mariucci Arena, where the home fans are aching for a goal, and a win.

"Into the hornet's nest,'' Clark said.

Clark, UAA's leading goal scorer with four in six games, said the Minnesota series presents new territory for the Seawolves' many freshmen.

About one-third of UAA's lineup has been filled by newcomers so far, and this will be their first encounter with the three-hour time change, the travel and a hostile environment. The Seawolves' games at UAF's Brice Alaska Goal Rush tournament in Fairbanks were nothing like what they can expect tonight because there was no time change, the Carlson Center was mostly empty and UAA didn't play the home team.

"It's never easy in this league,'' Clark said, "and it isn't going to be easy at Minnesota.''

But the Seawolves are coming off a prime performance in Saturday's 2-1 win over visiting North Dakota, which was ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time. UAA used relentless work, goals from Clark and defenseman Kane Lafranchise, and 22 saves from Bryce Christianson to bounce back from the 5-0 hammering North Dakota delivered the previous night.

Seawolves notes

In their last seven games at Minnesota over the three previous seasons, the Seawolves have gone 2-4-1.

Clark entered the season with 236 penalty minutes in 105 career games, an average of 2.25 penalty minutes per game. It's early, granted, but he has accumulated eight penalty minutes in six games this season for an average of 1.33 penalty minutes per game. Still, with 244 career penalty minutes, Clark ranks No. 9 all-time at UAA.

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

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