In 2 hours, 36 minutes of chaos and drama inside Sullivan Arena on Saturday night, the hockey hysteria UAA and Colorado College delivered featured seemingly a little bit of everything.
Each team blew a lead. There were power plays galore — 14 in all, and one for each club in overtime. There was a game-tying penalty shot, by the hometown boy who captains the visitors. There was a major penalty against the visitors. And there was an extra-attacker goal by the home team to force overtime.
About the only thing lacking was a shootout — they don't do those in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association — or a streaker jumping over the plexiglass and onto the Olympic-sized ice sheet.
So, a 3-3 tie seemed about right.
And although the Seawolves' winless streak careened to 14 games (0-11-3) with a second tie on the weekend — UAA and CC deadlocked 2-2 Friday night — they at least lead the nation in something: Ties.
UAA's seventh tie this season ties Clarkson for the most in all of college hockey, men's and women's, Division I and Division III. It's one short of the program record of eight (2007-08) — and that's with at least 10 games remaining.
UAA slipped to 3-16-7 overall and 1-15-6 in the 12-team WCHA, where it sits last. Colorado College is 10-14-4 overall, 7-10-3 in the WCHA, where remains in ninth place.
UAA carried a 2-0 lead, courtesy of power-play strikes by defenseman Austin Coldwell and center Matt Bailey, deep into the second period before events turned into pandemonium on a night when a group of raucous, chanting cadets from the Alaska Military Youth Academy made an announced crowd of 2,650 seem much larger.
"There were a lot of things going on,'' Bailey said. "That's probably the most crazy fans we've had at Sullivan. We really appreciated it, and it made a difference.''
Colorado College's Mike Boivin scored late in the second period to cut UAA's lead to 2-1 and give him 12 goals this season, tops among Division I defensemen.
Then, eight minutes into the third period, Colorado College senior captain William Rapuzzi of Anchorage was hauled down on a power-play breakaway. The Tigers had the option of accepting a penalty against UAA for a two-man advantage or allowing Rapuzzi to take a penalty shot.
"We thought about it for a minute,'' said Tigers coach Scott Owens. "We figured — you know what? — our captain, our hometown kid, one of our leading scorers…''
Rapuzzi, who said he hadn't faced a similar opportunity since his days in the U.S. Hockey League, where post-overtime shootouts are conducted, broke in on UAA goaltender Chris Kamal (14 saves) and lifted a backhander over Kamal's stick for his team-leading 14th goal and a 2-2 tie.
"I just tried to tune everything out and think of something to do,'' Rapuzzi said. "I saw him come out a little far, so I tried to go in fast, make a move and beat him to the outside.''
The Tigers racked their only lead of the night at 3-2 with less than four minutes to go in regulation, when Archie Skalbeck spearheaded an odd-man rush after taking a pass from freshman Jared Hanson of Palmer. Skalbeck beat Kamal to the short side with a wrister from the left circle.
With time closing in on the Seawolves, Kamal made it to the bench with 1:23 remaining and was replaced by an extra attacker in Bailey.
Bailey charged onto the ice, took a pass from Daniel Naslund high in the Tigers zone and threaded a pass left to defenseman Scott Warner. Warner, who also was credited with a game-high five blocked shots, beat Joe Howe (18 saves) with a wrister from the left circle for a 3-3 tie.
"I just went on the ice and I was hoping to get the puck,'' Bailey said. "Those are desperate times. (Naslund) made a nice play to the middle and instincts just kicked in. Right in the blink of an eye, I saw (Warner) at the last second.''
The late goal was reminiscent of Friday's tie, when UAA leading goal scorer Scott Allen forged a 2-2 deadlock with less than four minutes remaining in regulation.
UAA was issued the first power play of overtime. Alas for the Seawolves, Bailey, stationed between the face-off circles, was unable to one-time a centering feed from Alex Gellert that was just a touch in front of him.
"I couldn't get my hips around,'' said Bailey, who is strong when it comes to launching one-timers. "I'd really like to have that one back.''
Soon, after UAA leading scorer Blake Tatchell (one assist) took a tripping penalty, the Tigers went on the power play. And when Allen took a tripping penalty with 4.6 seconds left, the Tigers enjoyed a two-man advantage and a face-off in UAA's zone.
Rylan Schwartz beat Bailey on the draw and pulled the puck back to Boivin, who passed it to Alexander Krushelnyski atop the right circle. But Krushelnyski's one-timer, which may have been tipped by a Seawolves skater, went high over Kamal's cage, and the final horn blew.
"I thought that was a great hockey game,'' said Owens. "I know there were mistakes made, but both teams played hard and played with passion.''
Seawolves notes
UAA outshot CC, 21-17, which marked the third straight game it has outshot its opponent. Coming into the weekend, the Seawolves had not outshot their opponents in consecutive games this season.
Tatchell's assist gives him a team-leading point total of 6-12—18 in 26 games. Bailey's goal and helper gives him 5-10—15 totals in 26 games, tying Jordan Kwas (one assist) for second on the team in points. Kwas has 8-7—15 totals in 25 games.
UAA's weekend announced crowds — 2,650 on Saturday, 2,630 on Friday — stopped a string of eight straight previous home games when it failed to break 2,400 fans.
Naslund returned to the lineup Saturday after missing Friday's game with illness.
Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
CC 0 1 2 0 — 3
UAA 1 1 1 — 3
First Period — 1, UAA, Coldwell 2 (Gellert, Tatchell), 14:57 (pp). Penalties — Winkler, CC (boarding), 9:06; Kwas, UAA (roughing), 13:18; Boivin, CC (roughing), 13:18; Rapuzzi, CC (hooking), 14:36.
Second Period — 2, UAA, Bailey 5 (Coldwell, Kwas), 4:23 (pp); 3, CC, Boivin 12 (Schwartz, Krushelnyski), 17:36. Penalties — Winkler, CC, major-game misconduct, served by Wamsganz (checking from behind), 2:23; Tatchell, UAA (holding), 5:04; Coldwell, UAA (interference), 5:37; Allen, UAA (tripping), 19:30.
Third Period — 4, CC, Rapuzzi 14 (penalty shot), 8:07; 5, CC, Skalbeck 9 (Hanson), 16:41; 6, UAA, Warner 2 (Bailey, Naslund), 18:47 (ea). Penalties — Sevalrud, UAA (holding), 3:27; McDermott, CC (tripping), 4:51; Roy, UAA (boarding), 7:28; Hamburg, CC (boarding), 9:11.
Overtime — None. Penalties — Marciano, CC (tripping), 1:18; Tatchell, UAA (tripping), 3:12; Allen, UAA (tripping), 4:55.
Shots on goal — CC 6-4-6-1--17. UAA 8-7-4-2--21.
Power-play Opportunities — CC 0 of 6. UAA 2 of 8.
Goalies — CC, Howe, 6-7-3 (21 shots-18 saves). UAA, Kamal, 2-9-3 (17 shots-14 saves).
A — 2,650 (6,251). T — 2:36.
Referees — Craig Welker, Johnathan Morrison. Assistant referees — Travis Jackson, Carl Saden.
By DOYLE WOODY