Sports

For UAA hockey, another lost weekend in Mankato

If the Seawolves' goal celebration seemed a tad excessive for a team that trailed by three goals, understand they smothered senior defenseman Chris Williams with love because his goal was the first of his 111-game college career.

UAA also received sophomore winger Tad Kozun's team-leading seventh goal, which came off a Blake Tatchell helper that edged the senior center closer to the Century Club.

And that about covers the Seawolves' highlights Saturday night, when Minnesota State-Mankato ambushed them for five first-period goals and beat them 6-2 to sweep the Western Collegiate Hockey Association series in Minnesota.

Most everything else that transpired at the Verizon Wireless Center was a disaster for the visitors, who have lost eight straight games in their personal hockey hell and been outscored 33-10 in that span.

UAA fell to 6-6-2 overall and 3-4-1 in the WCHA, and is 1-5-1 in its last seven games. Minnesota State-Mankato, which entered Saturday tied for the league lead with Michigan Tech, improved to 8-6-2 overall and 7-1-2 in league, and stretched its unbeaten streak to five games (3-0-2).

One night after sophomore goaltender Olivier Mantha's 40 saves kept the Seawolves from being completely mauled in a 2-0 loss, the Mavericks used them like a speed bag in the early going. Early on, the Seawolves suffered for their stick-checks and defensive breakdowns.

Minnesota State-Mankato's Bryce Gervais scored the first of his two goals 43 seconds in when he was left unattended at the edge of Mantha's crease. Zeb Knutson flicked a backhander through traffic and past Mantha three minutes later. And then UAA defenseman Jarrett Brown got sentenced to a major penalty and game misconduct for cross-checking C.J. Franklin.

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Teddy Blueger and Gervais scored on the extended power play to push the Mavericks' lead to 4-0 and hasten Mantha's exit.

In came sophomore Jared D'Amico. Franklin greeted him with a short-handed strike. The Seawolves, who had surrendered five or more goals twice in their first 13 games, had given up five in a mere 15:08.

And Blueger, who entered with seven points in 15 games, had a hand in all five first-period goals – one goal and four helpers.

Kozun stemmed the bleeding when he scored off Tatchell's rebound late in the first period.

And Williams cut the Mavericks' lead to 5-2 deep into the second period when he took Matt Anholt's cross-ice pass and roofed a shot on Jason Pawloski. The shot was the 96th of Williams' career in green and gold.

Then the Seawolves went – at least on this night – full Seawolves. Defenseman Wyatt Ege tried to make a short pass to captain Austin Sevalrud in front of UAA's net. Sevalrud was handcuffed and tried to nudge the puck a couple feet to D'Amico for a whistle. D'Amico, though, couldn't freeze the puck and Max Coatta, after leveling Sevalrud from behind -- no call there -- shoved it past D'Amico for a 6-2 lead.

So, tough start to a four-game road trip for the Seawolves.

And it doesn't get any easier. Up next: A series at Michigan Tech, which entered Saturday tied for the league lead with Minnesota State-Mankato.

Seawolves notes

Brown's major penalty was UAA's fourth in 14 games after being busted for 15 majors in 34 games last season.

Kozun's team-high seven goals in 14 games come after he scored six goals in 34 games as a freshman last season.

Tatchell's assist was his 93rd career point in 122 career games – he owns 27-66—93 totals. He's trying to become the 22nd Seawolf to score 100 career points. The last was winger Kevin Clark (2006-10), who earned 51-57—108 totals in 141 career games.

D'Amico, in just his second appearance this season, stopped 24 of 26 shots.

The Seawolves went 0 for 4 on the power play. They've gone 0 for 15 in the last four games and 2 for 28 in the last six games.

Gervais, who was second in the nation in goals last season with 27 in 40 games, had three goals in the series and owns 58 career goals. He fired nine shots on goal in both games of the series.

Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr

UAA 1 1 0 -- 2

MSM 5 1 0 -- 6

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First Period – 1, MSM, Gervais 6 (Blueger, Nelson), :43; 2, MSM, Knutson 2 (Blueger), 3:48; 3, MSM, Blueger 4 (Huntebrinker, Vanko), 11:42 (pp); 4, MSM, Gervais 7 (Huntebrinker, Blueger), 12:26 (pp); 5, MSM, Franklin (Blueger), 15:08 (sh); 6, UAA, Kozun 7 (Tatchell, Mitchell), 18:32. Penalties – Brown, UAA, major-game misconduct, served by MacTavish (checking from behind), 8:25; Knowles, MSM (tripping), 14:42; Kozun, UAA (roughing), 16:13.

Second Period – 7, UAA, Williams 1 (Anholt, Conti), 15:45; 8, MSM, Coatta 2, 18:04. Penalties – Mitchell, UAA (hooking), :24; Vanko, MSM (hooking), 2:54; Ege, UAA (holding), 10:50; Nelson, MSM (unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:35; Conti, UAA (unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:35; Mitchell, UAA, minor-game misconduct (roughing), 13:35.

Third Period -- None. Penalties – Foguth, MSM (interference), 10:43.

Shots on goal – UAA 4-8-14—26. MSM 16-13-8—37.

Power-play Opportunities – UAA 0 of 4. MSM 2 of 7.

Goalies – UAA, Mantha, 5-6-2 (11 shots-7 saves); D'Amico, enter 14:42 (26 shots-24 saves). MSM, Pawloski, 5-0-2 (26 shots-24 saves).

A – 3,563 (4,832). T – 2:20.

Referees – Bobby Lukkason, Brady Johnson. Assistant referees – Neil Missling, Matt Anderson.

Doyle Woody

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

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