Let's head around the rinks for some quick highlights as I apologize for not putting the blog in blogger lately -- man, it's just so much easier to Tweet when we have a publishing system that is about as fluid as my genetically f'd-up back (thanks, mom, for that extra vertebrae with the lousy facet).
The Alaska Aces lost their sixth straight tonite, falling 3-2 on the road to the Indy Fuel. Tough one -- 37 shots didn't get it done. Six consecutive losses ties for second-most in the franchise's 13 ECHL seasons, which, when you put it that way, doesn't sound like much for a franchise's second-longest losing streak. If it makes you feel any better, Cowbell Crew, the Victoria Salmon Kings went 20 straight games in 2004-05 without a win -- they may have had some OT losses or shootout losses in that span, the ECHL record book doesn't say.
At Sullivan Arena, UAA lost a heart-breaker, 3-2 in OT, to Ferris State. An OT loss in the WCHA gets ya nothing -- no loser point on that circuit. Seawolves came back twice to tie the game, the final tie coming on defenseman Jarrett Brown's shortie in the third period, at the tail-end of a five-minute kill by his club.
UAF bagged a nice WCHA victory, winning 4-3 at Bemidji State after trailing 2-0 in the first period. Brandon Morley went all hat trick for the Nanooks, and I have it on good authority -- this it was the Nanooks' blogger -- that Morley's trick was the first by a Nanook since Cody Kunyk, his old sidekick, dinged the Seawolves for four goals.
On other fronts, belated congrats to wingers Zoe Hickel and Jordan Smelker, who recently helped the USA women win the Four Nations Cup abroad. Nice work.
Remember former UAF winger Colton Beck. Well, he plays for ECHL Idaho and Thursday night he racked two goals and two helpers in a 5-4 loss to Orlando. Friday, he had three helpers in a 4-3 OT loss to Florida. But what's amazing to me, if at the point Friday's game was 3-3, Beck had been on the ice for 14 of the 15 goals scored on those nights, and 13 straight. In all, he was on for 14 of 16, and in all that, racked an even rating. I kid you not. My man Will Hoenike, the former Idaho broadcaster who now oversees all that is dairy in Idaho -- I might be pumping his tires a little hard -- noted of Beck "that things happen when he's on the ice.'' Will does glib quite well.
Speaking of the ECHL, former UAA and Aces skater Tyler Currier of Anchorage tonite scored his fourth goal in six games since he was traded to Elmira from Orlando. Someone hose him off.
In the NAHL, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs suffered a rare misstep -- they gave up three third-period goals and lost 4-3 to visiting Janesville, which snapped Fairbanks' five-game winning streak. Still, Ice Dogs are 16-3-1, which is pretty stout.
And, man, I'm a sportswriter, so the only thing I root for usually is the game I am covering to be quick and end in regulation. But I wouldn't mind seeing the Kenai River Brown Bears have a night or two of success. They lost Friday, 5-2 to visiting Coulee Region, which gives them 17 straight losses and a 1-19-0 record. Probably won't furnish much consolation, but UAA once won its season opener, then went 0-28-7 the rest of the way.
Anyhow, sitting here in Sullivan Arena, they're cleaning up the joint after the UAA game. That means it's time for me to bounce. Bet no one had the courtesy to warm up my car (and, no, I don't have an automatic starter -- do you have any idea how little journalists earn?)