Alaska's intrastate college hockey rivalry, annual clashes that have stretched across four decades, will be more frequent and perhaps even more antagonistic next season.
The annual Governor's Cup between UAA and UAF will expand to six games in 2017-18, restoring the rivalry to frequency not regularly seen since the early 1990s when both teams, which now play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, were Division I independent teams.
The expansion of the Governor's Cup, which in its previous 24 seasons consisted of a four-game series 12 times and a two-game series another 12 times, highlights schedules UAA and UAF announced Thursday, when all WCHA teams revealed their upcoming docket.
Stretching way back to the 1980s, UAA and UAF often played as many as eight times a season. Those frequent battles took the rivalry from simmering to full-boil — old-school rink rats here can recall the team battles trickling down to personal battles, like UAF win-at-all-costs diminutive pest Ricky Pitta against UAA towering defenseman Mike Peluso. The rivalry in full extends back to 1979, when both programs debuted at the NCAA level.
"I don't think you can play enough," said current UAA coach Matt Thomas. "There's no love lost between the programs, and for us, we know how important these games are.
"I think it's going to be great."
The last season the Seawolves and Nanooks played as many as six times came in 2013-14, when they played seven times. That total included three WCHA playoff games — UAA won the best-of-3 series — and marked the last time UAA qualified for the postseason.
The Nanooks have decisively owned the Cup of late. Officially, UAF has won the last five Cups, including last season, when it won three of four games against UAA. UAF has won the Cup eight straight seasons on the ice, but vacated three of those titles — 2010-12 — as part of its punishment for NCAA violations.
Next season's Cup series will be evenly spaced throughout the season. The teams play a home-and-home series October 20-21, play a series in Anchorage on December 8-9, and close the regular season with a series Feb. 23-24 in Fairbanks. The last four games will double as WCHA games.
The increase in games between the rivals will trim expenses at a time when athletic budgets at both schools have been slashed — and more cuts are expected — because of the state's fiscal crisis and reduced funding for the University of Alaska.
UAA last season did away with its annual season-opening tournament, which annually featured UAA, UAF and two teams from Outside.
UAF will not hold its annual Brice Alaska Goal Rush tournament in 2017-18, but said the four-team tournament, which in the past included UAF, UAA and two Outside teams, will return in the 2018-19 season.
The absence of those tournaments defrays expenses for both programs because they do not have to contribute to travel costs for Outside teams.
UAA's season will kick off on a high note. The Seawolves open at Sullivan Arena against visiting North Dakota, a perennial powerhouse that won the NCAA championship in 2016 and regularly delivers players to the NHL.
"It's as good an igniter as you're going to find," Thomas said of opening against North Dakota.
UAA's other nonconference series is a trip to Colorado College on the second weekend of the season.
In the WCHA, the first half of the season shapes up as the most difficult half for UAA. The Seawolves play eight of their first 12 league games on the road. Four of those games will come in a single road trip that will take UAA to Lake Superior State in Michigan before traveling to Alabama-Huntsville.
That extended roadie marks UAA's only four-game trip of the season. The Seawolves last season endured two four-game road trips, both in the second half of the season.
In the second half, UAA plays 10 of its 16 WCHA games at home, and its two trips Outside are two of its easiest logistically — to Bowling Green in Ohio and to Minnesota State-Mankato.
"You hope you survive, and prosper, and be competitive in the first half, and then you have a good opportunity looming in the second half," Thomas said.
The Seawolves are coming off an injury-riddled season in which they finished 7-21-6 overall and last in the 10-team WCHA.
UAA said it expects soon to announce its annual exhibition game and its annual Green-Gold game.
Season-ticket packages, ranging from $150 to $350, will go on sale June 26. Also available will be packages for youths 18 and under that will cost $50 and get the holder into regular-season games for all UAA sports.
UAA Hockey 2017-18 Schedule
(Home games at Sullivan Arena in CAPS)
*WCHA games; $Governor's Cup games
October
6-7 — NORTH DAKOTA. 13-14 — at Colorado College. 20 — UAF$. 21 — at UAF.
November
3-4 — at Lake Superior State (Mich.)*. 10-11 — at Alabama-Huntsville*. 17-18 — MICHIGAN TECH*.
December
1-2 — at Ferris State (Mich.)*. 8-9 — UAF*$. 15-16 — at Bemidji State (Minn.)*.
January
5-6 — MINNESOTA STATE-MANKATO*. 12-13 — ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE*. 19-20 — at Bowling Green (Ohio). 26-27 — NORTHERN MICHIGAN*.
February
2-3 — at Minnesota State-Mankato*. 9-10 — LAKE SUPERIOR STATE*. 15-16 — BOWLING GREEN*. 23-24 — at UAF*$.