Sports

Seawolves picked 6th by WCHA media, 7th by coaches

UAA finished sixth in the 10-team Western Collegiate Hockey Association last season, and that's where league media predict the Seawolves will stay this season.

League coaches, meanwhile, peg the Seawolves for seventh, and both media and coaches slot UAF into fifth place.

Minnesota State-Mankato was predicted to win the league in both the Mankato (Minn.) Free Press Coaches Poll and the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer Media Poll. Defending league champion Ferris State of Michigan was picked second in both polls.

UAA last season went 18-16-4 in coach Matt Thomas' debut season and knocked off UAF, which tied for third place, in the first round of the league playoffs.

In the league's teleconference Monday morning, Thomas said he had two questions that should help define UAA's prospects this season: "Can we win on the road and are our goaltenders going to be difference-makers?''

UAA last season went 3-9-2 in regular-season WCHA road games -- it enjoyed a 9-3-2 home mark. Seawolves goaltenders combined for a .893 save percentage, which is below average. Sophomore Michael Matyas and freshmen Olivier Mantha and Jared D'Amico will battle for playing time this season.

UAF's goaltending likewise was below average in save percentage (.892) last season, and the Nanooks (18-15-4) also have to absorb the losses of league Player of the Year Cody Kunyk (22 goals) and his linemate Colton Beck (14 goals).

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"We're looking for some guys to obviously elevate their games,'' said Nanooks head coach Dallas Ferguson.

UAA on Saturday night plays at exhibition game against Western Ontario at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex on the UAA campus. The Seawolves' season begins in earnest Friday, Oct. 10, when they entertain Maine in the opener of their Kendall Hockey Classic at Sullivan Arena.

Reach reporter Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com and check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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