Well, that was a long way to travel -- four times zones -- to take a beating.
UAA's first game in the revamped Western Collegiate Hockey Association did not go well.
The Seawolves lost their leading scorer to a major penalty in the first period Friday night, surrendered a season-high three power-play goals and were fed a 6-1 loss at Bowling Green in Ohio.
That marked the second time in three games the Seawolves have given up six goals -- they lost 6-2 to Western Michigan in Fairbanks two weeks ago.
Coach Matt Thomas didn't have any qualms about his team's effort. Execution, though, was lacking.
"We've got to be a better team,'' he said by cellphone. "I didn't like our details on both sides of the puck.''
UAA's problems were compounded when senior center and captain Matt Bailey, who delivered the overtime game-winning strike in UAA's previous game, was issued a major for checking from behind and a game misconduct. The Seawolves' only consolation on that front is that Bailey is eligible for Saturday night's series finale -- a game disqualification would have triggered an automatic one-game suspension.
In any event, penalties -- and poor penalty killing -- cost the Seawolves (3-2-0, 0-1-0 WCHA) severely against the Falcons (3-2-2, 1-0-0 WCHA), who have excelled on the power play through seven games.
Bowling Green went 3 for 8 with the man advantage -- one of their power-play goals came with a two-man advantage -- and is operating at 25.6 percent efficiency on the power play. Friday marked the third straight game UAA has given its opponent at least seven power-play opportunities -- Seawolves opponents have enjoyed 25 power-play chances in the last three games to UAA's 17 opportunities.
Three penalties UAA took in the first period made it difficult to establish any momentum against an opponent Thomas called "very detailed, very committed.''
Still, UAA, which journeyed to Ohio after an idle week, wasn't in too bad of a position halfway through the game, trailing just 2-1.
Cam Wojtala gave Bowling Green a 1-0 lead with a power-play rebound late in the first period and Andrew Wallace raised the margin to 2-0 five minutes into the second period.
But UAA winger Scott Allen deflected Austin Coldwell's shot from the point on a two-man advantage seven minutes into the second period to trim the Falcons' lead to 2-1.
About seven minutes later, Chad Sumsion tucked a rebound into an open net after Bryce Williamson drove to the left from the left wing. In the final minute of the period, Ben Murphy cashed in on the power play when the Seawolves were unable to corral the puck in their zone, and Bowling Green's lead ballooned to 4-1.
Wojtala and Williamson added third-period goals.
Once Bowling Green expanded its lead in the second period, Thomas said, UAA didn't do enough to merit a rebound.
"We didn't generate enough to be a team that was going to get back in that game,'' Thomas said.
Murphy, who scored six goals in 40 games last season, already has six goals in seven games. Williamson, who had 12 goals in 40 games last season, likewise owns six in seven games.
Freshman Michael Matyas made 25 saves for UAA and sophomore Tommy Burke of Bowling Green stopped 19 shots to remain unbeaten (2-0-2).
Seawolves notes
Allen has goals in consecutive games.
Freshman winger Dylan Hubbs was hit with a major penalty and misconduct in a third-period scrum, busted for grasping the face mask.
Bailey's major penalty was the fifth of this career; it was the fourth time he received a game misconduct as well.
Junior winger Brett Cameron fired a team-high five shots on goal for UAA, but was also minus-3, as was senior winger Jordan Kwas. Kwas' assist gives him five points in five games, second to Bailey's six points.
Bowling Green's Wojtala cranked off a game-high eight shots on goal.
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UAA0 1 0 -- 1
Bowling Green 1 3 2 -- 6
First Period -- 1, Bowling Green, Wojtala 1 (Mingo, Berkle), 17:55 (pp). Penalties -- Hubbs. UAA (roughing), 12:31; Williams, Bowling Green (holding), 16:01; Berkle, Bowling Green (roughing), 19:35; Bailey, UAA, served by Pettitt, major-game misconduct (contact to the head), 19:35.
Second Period -- 2, Bowling Green, Wallace 1 (Mercier), 4:45; 3, UAA, Allen 2 (Coldwell, Kwas), 7:07 (pp); 4, Bowling Green, Sumsion 1 (Williamson, Freibergs), 13:51; 5, Bowling Green, Murphy 6 (Mingo, DeSalvo), 19:30 (pp). Penalties -- Bowling Green bench minor, served by Mercier (too many men), 1:52; Berkle, Bowling Green (elbowing), 6:09; Hafner, Bowling Green (interference), 6:14; Williams, UAA (holding), 18:23.
Third Period -- 6, Bowling Green, Wojtala 2 (Berkle, Pohlkamp), 10:40; 7, Bowling Green, Williamson 6 (DeSalvo, Freibergs), 17:17 (pp). Penalties -- Freibergs, Bowling Green (roughing), 2:11; Murphy, Bowling Green (roughing), 2:11; Tate, Bowling Green, double-minor (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 2:11; Coldwell, UAA (roughing), 2:11; Hubbs, UAA, served by Murphy, major-misconduct (grasping the face mask), 2:11; Friesen, UAA (contact to the head-elbowing), 11:07; Williamson, Bowling Green (interference), 11:16; UAA bench minor, served by Sevalrud (too many men), 16:02; Dusyk, UAA (tripping), 16:10.
Shots on goal -- UAA 3-9-8--20. Bowling Green 12-9-10--31.
Power-play Opportunities -- UAA 1 of 5. Bowling Green 3 of 8.
Goalies -- UAA, Matyas, 2-1-0 (31 shots-25 saves). Bowling Green, Burke, 2-0-2 (20 shots-19 saves).
A -- 2,235 (5,000). T -- 2:20.
Referees -- Chris Perrault, Kevin Langseth. Assistant referees -- Pat Bracco, Matt Miller.
By DOYLE WOODY