Given that it trailed by two goals with less than six minutes left in regulation Friday, UAA's 3-3 tie with Penn State in Fairbanks felt more rewarding than a stalemate.
Blake Leask's power-play strike, coupled with defenseman Austin Coldwell's extra-attacker goal with 69 seconds left in regulation, delivered the Seawolves a deadlock in their opener at the Brice Alaska Goal Rush tournament in Fairbanks.
The game enters the NCAA ledger as a tie, but UAA won the three-round shootout, 1-0 on a Hayden Trupp marker, which gives it an edge when it comes to tournament tie-breakers.
UAA (2-0-1) remained unbeaten heading into Saturday night's game against Air Force.
"The guys stuck with it and found a way,'' UAA coach Matt Thomas said by text.
Michael Matyas stopped 24 shots for the Seawolves in regulation and overtime, and rebuffed all three Nittany Lions shooters in the skills contest.
UAA trailed 3-1 when it went on a power play deep into the third period. Leask, a defenseman by trade who has also played wing for UAA, was in the lineup for the first time this season because senior captain Brett Cameron served a one-game suspension imposed by the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for his hit last weekend on Wisconsin defenseman Tim Davison.
In any event, Leask, played regular shifts at wing but was back at defense on the power play that triggered UAA's comeback. He scored off feeds from Hayden Trupp, a winger, and Chase Van Allen, a defenseman who has racked four assists in three games. Leask's goal cut Penn State's lead to 3-2.
Thomas pulled Matyas for an extra attacker with about 85 seconds left and Coldwell, who last season scored six goals to account for half the goals from UAA blueliners, delivered a 3-3 tie with his first goal of the season.
Thomas in a text indicated credit for that goal might change -- he said freshman winger Anthony Conti tipped the shot over the shoulder of Penn State goalie Matthew Skoff (23 saves).
The Seawolves got off to a slow start and quickly endured their first deficit of the season. Curtis Loik beat Matyas from the left circle less than five minutes into the game and Dylan Richard struck on the power play inside the nine-minute mark to furnish Penn State a 2-0 lead.
UAA junior center Blake Tatchell cut the deficit to 2-1 with a power-play strike off Scott Allen's splendid feed late in the first period.
Yet Penn State (1-0-2), coached by former UAF bench boss Guy Gadowsky, regained a two-goal lead at 3-1 late in the second period when junior winger Casey Bailey of Anchorage scored on the power play.
Penn State went 2 of 3 on the power play. UAA in two season-opening wins last week killed all 11 power plays it faced. UAA converted on 2 of 4 power plays after going 1 for 9 last weekend.
Seawolves notes
Van Allen (0-4--4) owns at least one point in all three UAA games, as does Allen (2-1--3).
Leask led UAA with five shots on goal.
Penn State junior center Eric Scheid, who played one season at UAA, led all players with six shots on goal. Bailey fired three shots on goal and bagged his 25th career goal.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter @JaromirBlagr
UAA wins shootout 1-0
Penn State 2 1 0 0 3
UAA 1 0 2 0 3
First Period – 1, Penn State, Loik 1 (Conway), 4:33; 2, Penn State, Richard 1 (Jensen, Holstrom), 8:47 (pp); 3, UAA, Tatchell 1 (Allen, Brown), 16:14 (pp). Penalties – Allen, UAA (holding), 6:56; Richard, Penn State (holding the stick), 15:41; Duwe, UAA (tripping), 19:26.
Second Period – 4, Penn State, Bailey 2 (Jensen, Holstrom), 17:53 (pp). Penalties – Scheid, Penn State (interference), 7:02; Williamson, Penn State (slashing), 11:05; Trupp, UAA (elbowing), 16:49.
Third Period – 5, UAA, Leask 1 (Trupp, Van Allen), 14:19 (pp); 6, UAA, Coldwell 1 (Duwe), 18:51. Penalties – Conway, Penn State (slashing), 12:41.
Overtime – None. Penalties -- None
Shots on goal – Penn State 14-8-2-3—27. UAA 4-9-10-3—26.
Power-play Opportunities – Penn State 2 of 3. UAA 2 of 4.
Goalies – Penn State, Skoff, 1-0-2 (26 shots-23 saves). UAA, Matyas, 1-0-1 (27 shots-24 saves).
A – 722 (4,595). T – 2:34.
Referees – Brad Albers, Kevin Hall. Assistant referees – Carl Saden, Travis Jackson.