Sports

Around the rinks: Hickel, Carle, Chad Johnson, UAA recruit, etc.

Anchorage winger Zoe Hickel, fresh off winning the inaugural Isobel Cup with the National Women's Hockey League's Boston Pride, is now with USA Hockey's national team and seeking a second straight gold medal in the Women's World Championships.

Hickel, 23, and the Americans kicked off the tournament Monday with a 3-1 win over rival Canada in Kamloops, British Columbia. The Americans face Finland later Tuesday.

On the NHL front, this has been a rough campaign for veteran defenseman Matt Carle of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Carle has been a healthy scratch a considerable number of times this season, but his role and his ice time have been elevated of late following the shelving of Anton Stralman, the Lightning's No. 2 D -- Stralman suffered a broken leg last Friday. In that game against the Islanders, Carle, who came in averaging 16:14 of ice time per game, racked a season-high 24:27. The next night he logged 18:42 and Monday, in a win over Toronto, he logged 21:54, second-most among Tampa Bay D and Carle's second-highest ice time this season.

Speaking of the NHL, former UAF goaltender Chad Johnson is putting up a fine season for rebuilding Buffalo. Johnson stopped 26 of 28 shots Monday in a 3-2 loss to Detroit (empty-net goal in there for Winged Wheel) and owns at career-high in wins at 19-16-3. He owns a 2.38 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.

UAA has landed another recruit, according to the British Columbia Hockey League. Incoming forward is Corey Renwick, a 6-1, 190-pounder who is 20 and will join the Seawolves in the fall. Stats-wise, looks like a depth guy -- 9-20--29 in 52 regular-season games with the Nanaimo Clippers, and 2-1--3 in nine playoff games. He's got good size, and the Seawolves can use more of that.

Speaking of the Seawolves, let's check in on how some of the recently departed -- guys who started their pro careers after finishing their college careers earlier this month -- are doing in the play-for-pay game.

Center Blake Tatchell has played two games for AHL's Lake Erie, no points and an even rating. Defenseman Austin Sevalrud, who captained UAA, has an assist and is +1 in five games with ECHL Fort Wayne. And defenseman Chris Williams doesn't have a point, but he's +1, in six games with ECHL Norfolk.

Doyle Woody

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

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