Heading into a bye week, the last thing UAA's hockey team needed was another disappointment to stew over — the 13 days until the Seawolves' next game would have felt like an eternity.
Potential problem averted.
UAA on Saturday snapped its three-game losing streak to start the season by using Mason Mitchell's goal and Olivier Mantha's third career shutout to notch a 1-0 victory over Canisius at UAF's Brice Alaska Goal Rush tournament in Fairbanks.
Mitchell, a sophomore power winger who attracted NHL scouts to Anchorage for UAA's season-opening games a week ago, scored his first goal this season with 50 seconds left in the first period. Mantha, a junior who teammates voted Most Valuable Player in his first two seasons, made the marker stand with his 22 saves at the Carlson Center.
Granted, the Seawolves (1-3-0) still have only scored three goals in four games, but Saturday they finally experienced something other than frustration at game's end. They're off until they travel to Bemidji State in Minnesota to open their Western Collegiate Hockey Association schedule with a series Oct. 28-29.
Mitchell's goal came when linemate Austin Azurdia seized a turnover, circled behind the Griffins' net and fed a backhand pass to Mitchell, who beat freshman goalie Daniel Urbani (25 saves) in Urbani's college debut.
UAA's 1-0 victory was its first by that score in nearly three years. Chris Kamal, who recently was promoted to UAA assistant coach from his previous gig as the team's strength and conditioning coach, and goaltending coach, stopped 19 shots in a 1-0 WCHA win over Lake Superior State on Dec. 14, 2013.
The Seawolves started the season a week ago with a 6-0 loss to defending Big Ten champion Minnesota, then fell 4-1 to rival UAF the next night. They lost to Omaha, 3-1, in Friday's opener at the Brice Alaska Goal Rush to become the first team in 38 seasons of UAA hockey to lose the first three games of the season.
Saturday, the Seawolves killed all four Griffins power plays to continue one of their few strengths through four games. UAA has stopped 19 of 21 opposing power plays this season for penalty-killing efficiency of 90.5 percent.
On the flip side, UAA went 0 for 4 on the power play, and its lack of production with the man advantage continues to be a concern. The Seawolves have converted once on 23 power-play chances (4.3-percent efficiency) after last season finishing next-to-last in NCAA Division I with 10.0-percent efficiency.
UAA's coming idle week gives several Seawolves time to heal. Forwards Brad Duwe (preseason arthroscopic knee surgery) and Cam Amantea (shoulder) have yet to play this season, and forward Nathan Renouf missed both games over the weekend with a lower-body injury.
Seawolves notes
Azurdia's two assists this season give him the team lead in points.
UAA outshot Canisius, 26-22, marking the first time it has outshot an opponent this season.
Azurdia led all players Saturday with seven shots on goal and Mitchell added five — they combined for nearly half the team's shots.
Canisius 0 0 0 — 0
UAA 1 0 0 — 1
First Period — 1, UAA, Mitchell 1 (Azurdia), 19:50. Penalties — Jerry, Canisius (elbowing), 2:25; Mitchell, UAA (tripping), 13:13.
Second Period — None. Penalties — Mitchell, UAA (hooking), 2:44; Heath, Canisius (interference), 6:52; Bennett, Canisius (slashing), 11:23; Brown, UAA (hooking), 15:34.
Third Period — None. Penalties — Anholt, UAA (cross-checking), 5:11; Hoover, Canisius (roughing), 10:04.
Shots on goal — Canisius 7-7-8–22. UAA 9-9-8–26.
Power-play Opportunities — Canisius 0 of 4. UAA 0 of 4.
Goalies — Canisius, Urbani, 0-1-0 (26 shots-25 saves). UAA, Mantha, 1-2-0 (22-22).
A — 463 (4,595). T — 2:03.
Referees — Krissy Morrison, Tommy Albindia. Assistant referees — David Tise, Dan Collander.