Anchorage Daily News

The dividends of dominance do not always emerge immediately, and that was the case for the UAA hockey team in its season opener Friday night.

But persistence and patience often produce prosperity, as the Seawolves discovered.

The game-turning sequence in UAA's 6-2 win over Connecticut in the opening round of its Kendall Hockey Classic at Sullivan Arena came during the first six minutes of the second period, when the Seawolves asserted their superiority.

Granted, the Huskies of Atlantic Hockey forged a 2-2 tie during that time -- Andrew Olson struck for his second power-play deflection 32 seconds into the period.

Yet the Seawolves of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association controlled terms at even strength, shift after shift. And none of those were any more fortifying than a strong shift by the punch-the-clock fourth line of center Nick Haddad and wingers Ken Selby and Jeremy Smith.

"We were getting pucks in deep, banging bodies, doing what we do well,'' said UAA captain Mat Robinson. "If you ask me, (Haddad and company) were our best line tonight. They played so much below the dots, drew some penalties and got our power play out there.''

Finally, just shy of six minutes into the period, the Seawolves savored the first even-strength goal of the game, which afforded them a 3-2 lead.

Sophomore winger Tommy Grant, whose power-play goal late in the first period earned UAA a 2-1 advantage, made a sweet backhand dish from behind the UConn net. Freshman winger Tyler Moir banged home the helper for a 3-2 UAA lead.

After that, the Seawolves never let up on their leverage. They outshot the Huskies 17-1 in the middle 20 minutes -- after Olson's strike in the opening minute, UConn did not manage another shot on UAA sophomore goaltender Bryce Christianson (16 saves), who earned his first college win.

Not only that, but UAA extended its lead to 4-2 when Josh Lunden, the team's leading scorer last season, scored on the power play during a goal-mouth rumble late in the period.

That goal was UAA's third with the man advantage, following first- period markers by Grant and sophomore Craig Parkinson.

Robinson, the Seawolves' top defenseman, raised the lead to 5-2 early in the third period when he cleaned up some goal-mouth garbage that rewarded the fourth line. Robinson wheeled into the slot and backhanded in a loose puck that was available because of the work of Haddad, Smith and Selby.

Lunden, who scored 25 goals in his first two seasons and is the reigning tournament Most Outstanding Player, added his second power-play goal of the game to make it 6-2. He walked out of the right corner, stickhandled through two defenders to the high slot and flicked a dart past the glove of goalie Beau Erickson. Erickson then gave way to Brad McInnis of Anchorage, who stopped all seven shots he faced.

The Seawolves went 4 for 10 with the man advantage and outshot the Huskies, 40-18. Ten of UAA's 12 forwards registered points and center Paul Crowder bagged three assists.

UAA's six goals were more than it scored in any game last season, when it went 7-21-8, and matched the most the Seawolves have scored in three-plus seasons with Dave Shyiak as bench boss.

"I thought the effort the last two periods was good and our power play was good,'' Shyiak said. "And, in the first period, Bryce was very good because -- credit to UConn -- they outworked us in the first.''

The Seawolves played without sophomore forwards Winston DayChief and Brad McCabe. Shyiak said both were healthy scratches, though it's worth pointing out that neither practiced with the team Thursday.

UAA also played the last two periods without promising freshman defenseman Curtis Leinweber, who suffered a strained groin. He sat on the bench for those periods, but never played.

Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.

UConn 1 1 0 -- 2

UAA 2 2 2 -- 6

First Period -- 1, UConn, Olson 1 (S. Erickson, Krispel), 7:00; 2, UAA, Parkinson 1 (Bales, Crowder), 16:14 (pp); 3, UAA, Grant 1 (Crowder, Bales), 17:43 (pp). Penalties -- Bales, UAA (grabbing the facemask), :32; Reiners, UConn (interference), 4:27; Backstrom, UAA (tripping), 6:53; Reagan, UConn (tripping), 8:18; Grant, UAA (interference), 9:50; Hernandez, UConn (hooking), 14:43; Schneider, UConn (holding), 16:54; Crowder, UAA (hooking), 19:07, Smith, UAA (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00; Hernandez, UConn (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00.

Second Period -- 4, UConn, Olson 2 (Reagan), :32; 5, UAA, Moir 1 (Grant, Crowder), 5:50; 6, UAA, Lunden 1 (Robinson, Portwood), 18:06 (pp). Penalties -- Backstrom, UAA (tripping), 7:03; Krispel, UConn (tripping), 7:45; Turner, UAA (tripping), 13:49; Haddad, UAA (roughing), 16:15; Schneider, UConn (roughing), 16:15; Behler, UConn (tripping), 16:15; Bayers, UConn (misconduct), 18:06; Reiners, UConn (tripping), 19:51.

Third Period -- 7, UAA, Robinson 1 (Haddad, Selby), 3:07; 8, UAA, Lunden 2 (Clark, Portwood), 10:36 (pp). Penalties -- Hunt, UAA (tripping), 5:00; Turner, UConn (holding), 8:07; Behler, UConn (interference), 14:05; Parkinson, UAA (tripping), 14:14; Grant, UAA (hooking), 16:54.

Shots on goal -- UConn 10-1-7--18. UAA 11-16-14--40.

Power-play Opportunities -- UConn 2 of 8; UAA 4 of 10.

Goalies -- UConn, B. Erickson 0-1-0 (33 shots-27 saves); McInnis, enter 7:24 3 rd period (7-7). UAA, Christianson 1-0-0 (18-16).

A -- 3,484 (6,251). T -- 2:19.

Referees -- Max Battimo, Brett Klosowski. Linesmen -- Travis Jackson, Jerome Krieder.

KENDALL HOCKEY CLASSIC

At Sullivan Arena

TODAY

4:07 p.m. -- Connecticut vs. UAF

7:07 p.m. -- Northeastern vs. UAA

RADIO: UAA games broadcast live, AM-550 KTZN

TV: UAA games tape delay, 10:30 night of game, GCI cable Channel 1

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