Anchorage Daily News

Look, it's not as anyone in the UAA hockey program is talking in the third person or making boasts, but the Seawolves find themselves in a pretty happy place at the moment.

Their 1-1 tie with Minnesota- Duluth on Saturday night didn't just earn them a three-point weekend in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

That deadlock at Sullivan Arena, forged by Paul Crowder's goal, Bryce Christiansen's 19 saves and diligent defense, combined with Friday's 4-3 win to gain the Seawolves their best start in a WCHA opening series in 16 seasons of league play. Never before had they gone unbeaten in a league-opening, two-game series.

Saturday's tie also stretched UAA's unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1), which matches the best four-game stretch in coach Dave Shyiak's three-plus seasons. And, at 4-1-1 overall, the Seawolves are off to their best six-game start since the 1991-92 team, which won its first six games and went to the NCAA tournament as an independent.

And if all that doesn't sound overly spectacular, consider that this is a program that has endured 15 straight losing seasons, three consecutive last-place finishes in the WCHA and a 7-21-8 record last season.

"We've got a little bit of confidence going right now,'' said Crowder, who has furnished at least one point in all six games. "And that's nice, because at the end of last season we didn't have any confidence. This year, it's a bit of a switch.''

The Seawolves have encountered prosperity by virtue of two scoring lines -- centered, respectively, by Brian Bales and Crowder. UAA's other two forward lines, as Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin pointed out, do well at what they do -- namely, hit, get the puck in deep and remember their identity as grinders. Meanwhile, UAA's defensemen did a good job Saturday of keeping Minnesota-Duluth's forwards on the perimeter.

"There's a positive feeling in the way we're playing,'' Shyiak said. "Everybody is contributing in their own certain way, and it adds value to the team.''

Though the Olympic-sized rink at Sullivan Arena is 15 feet wider than a standard NHL rink, its 20,000 square feet of ice didn't provide much room for either team Saturday. The teams combined for just 41 shots on goal -- 21 for the Seawolves, 20 for the Bulldogs -- despite a combined 12 power plays.

"You had to try to beat your check 1-on-1, and that's tough to do,'' Crowder said. "Everyone's good in this league.''

And on a night when the puck time and again seemed to hop the sticks of shooters at the most inopportune moments, room to shoot was tough to come by.

The Bulldogs (3-1-2 overall, 0-1-1 WCHA) struck during a 5-on-3 advantage midway through the first period. Drew Akins, stationed just above the goal line on right wing, only a few feet from Christianson's net, wheeled a blind backhand pass across the crease. Sophomore Justin Fontaine, stationed just off the left post, accepted the dish and pumped the puck into an open net for Minnesota-Duluth's 1-0 lead.

The goal was Fontaine's third of the series and fifth of the season, one more than he scored in 35 games last season. He not only leads Bulldog scorers with 5-5--10 totals in six games, but he also continues to flourish in hostile rinks. Fontaine's nine road points led the club last season and he owns 3-2--5 totals in four road games this season.

"He had a typical freshman year -- some good moments and some learning moments,'' Sandelin said. "He's one of our skilled guys. Obviously, coming back this year, we're counting on him offensively.''

Crowder's game-tying goal came off a fortuitous bounce. A Minesota-Duluth defender tried to clear the puck from his slot, but inadvertently flubbed it directly to Crowder, who rifled a shot between the pads of Alex Stalock (20 saves).

Minnesota-Duluth's Mike Connolly rocketed a power-play shot off the crossbar midway through the third period.

Both teams enjoyed a splendid chance in the opening minute of the five-minute overtime.

Christianson got his blocker on MacGregor Sharp's wrister from between the circles. Moments later, Stalock flashed his right pad to rebuff Kevin Clark's bid from the right circle. The rebound ricocheted to Josh Lunden, UAA's active goal-scoring leader, in the left circle. But the puck bounced on him as he went to shoot at an open net, and he misfired.

"When it finally hit my blade, it hit the top of it,'' Lunden said. "Unfortunate bounce, but it happens.''

All in all, a tie seemed a just result.

"That's just the WCHA for you,'' Lunden said. "You know it's going to be tight.''

Seawolves notes

Junior winger Ken Selby was ill and did not play. That allowed sophomore Jeff Carlson, a defenseman, to dress for his first game this season and play wing on the fourth line. Several other Seawolves weren't feeling great.

"I'm happy with the weekend, obviously,'' Shyiak said. "We did it with a lot of guys (Saturday) who were sick -- three or four guys. So we had to manage their minutes.''

UAA failed to score on five power plays, the first time it has been held scoreless with the man advantage in a game this season.

Freshman defenseman Curtis Leinweber sat out the series. He has missed five games since suffering a groin strain on opening night.

UAA is looking for youth teams of players 12 and under to sell jersey raffle tickets at games. Interested parties can email to mleary@gci.net for more information.

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

UMD 1 0 0 0 -- 1

UAA 1 0 0 0 -- 1

First Period -- 1, UMD, Fontaine 5 (Akin, J. Connolly), 10:29 (pp); 2, UAA, Crowder 3 (Tuton), 19:26. Penalties -- Clark, UAA (tripping), 8:32; Bales, UAA (hooking), 9:27.

Second Period -- None. Penalties -- Danberg, UMD (hooking), 2:29; Vidmar, UAA (holding), 3:40; Hunt, UAA (cross-checking), 5:52; Carroll, UMD (tripping), 9:52; Tuton, UAA (slashing), 13:46; Carroll, UMD (holding), 19:55; Grant, UAA (roughing), 20:00; Oberg, UMD (roughing), 20:00.

Third Period -- None. Penalties -- Kemp, UMD (roughing), 3:42; Grant, UAA (tripping), 8:01; Tuton, UAA (holding), 14:54; M. Connolly, UMD (holding), 15:07.

Overtime -- None. Penalties -- None. Shots on goal -- UMD 6-7-4-3--20; UAA 8-5-5-3--21. Power-play Opportunities -- UMD 1 of 7; UAA 0 of 5. Goalies -- UMD, Stalock 3-1-2 (21 shots-20 saves). UAA, Christianson 2-0-1 (20-19). A -- 3,132 (6,251). T -- 2:14. Referees -- Don Adam, Timm Walsh. Linesmen -- Scott Sivulich, Steve Glines.

Nanooks post shutout

Goaltender Chad Johnson stopped 27 shots as the UAF hockey team avenged a Friday night loss by blanking Bowling Green 3-0 Saturday night at the Carlson Center.

The win gave UAF a split of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association weekend series.

Dion Knelson provided all the scoring the Nanooks needed with his first-period goal, but Justin Filzer and Braden Walls gave UAF some insurance by adding goals in the second period.

UAF improved to 3-2-1 on the season, 1-1-0 in the league. Bowling Green is 2-3-1 and 1-1-0.

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