A UAA hockey program that has finished last or second-to-last in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association the last three seasons is looking for a fresh start this weekend.
The Seawolves will hit the ice for the first time with a pair of exhibition games that will give coaches, and fans, a chance to see newcomers vie for spots in the lineup.
The Seawolves, coming off a 7-21-6 season and last-place finish in the 10-team WCHA, play their annual Green and Gold game Friday at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. On Saturday they host Simon Fraser in an exhibition game at the McDonald Center in Eagle River.
"We expect to have less of a fun atmosphere and more of a competitive one because we want to mimic a Friday-Saturday night that we're going to see in the regular season," UAA coach Matt Thomas said. "What we're trying to do is (play) a combination of returning players and freshmen.
"We're trying to figure out … who is going to rise to the top."
The Seawolves feature a mix of veterans — like goaltender Olivier Mantha, who was voted team MVP each of the last three years — and 12 freshmen hoping to make an early impact.
One freshman expected to contribute immediately is 6-foot-3, 202-pound defenseman Cameron Trott of Anmore, British Columbia, who scored 50 points in two seasons in Junior A hockey.
"He can really bomb a puck," Thomas said. "He's a guy who will get an opportunity to play right away in key positions."
Thomas is also keeping an eye on freshman forward Xavier Jordan of Calgary, Alberta. A 5-foot-11, 187-pound speedster, Jordan has played 155 games in junior hockey.
"I think he'll be a fun payer to watch because he's going to zip around the ice and can really handle a puck," Thomas said.
To be successful, UAA needs a couple of scoring weapons to emerge early in the season. Last season, the Seawolves last ranked last in NCAA Division I in scoring (1.74 goals per game) and second-to-last in power-play goals (0.44 per game).
Thomas said he hopes a deeper lineup will help fix UAA's offensive woes. The Seawolves have 30 players vying for 20 spots in the lineup for their Oct. 6 season-opener against North Dakota at Sullivan Arena.
"Right now there's a lot of competition and that's a good thing," Thomas said. "We haven't seen a lot of that in the last three years.
"Against North Dakota, there's going to be 10 players sitting in the stands. I don't want to be one of those 10 if I'm on this team."
Among UAA's key returners are leading forward Matt Anholt, who tallied 5-15—20 totals in 34 games last season, and masked-man Mantha, who has been a rock in the goal.
Mantha has posted a .903 or better save percentage in each of his three seasons, the lone bright spot for a struggling team.
"There's some guys who have been fixtures in our lineup since Day 1 and I know I don't need to see them, but I do know it's an important couple games for them to get ready for the next weekend," Thomas said.
Spikers face undefeated foe
The 21st-ranked UAA volleyball team faces what could be its toughest conference opponent of the season this week when it hits the road to play No. 12 Northwest Nazarene on Thursday in Nampa, Idaho.
The Crusaders are 12-0 overall and 4-0 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, including a 4-1 win over powerhouse Western Washington.
"We came into the first couple weeks of GNAC play knowing that this weekend was going to be a huge challenge," said UAA coach Chris Green, whose team will also face 8-4 Central Washington on Saturday.
Green said the Seawolves (9-4, 4-0) have improved defensively since conference play started, but they're still struggling with consistency on the offensive side.
"We've seen some flashes of very good volleyball," Green said. "Right now we're just trying to be a little more consistent and see that good volleyball 100 percent of the time instead of half the time."
To beat the Crusaders, UAA will have to slow down two of the GNAC's top attackers: outside hitter Kendra Bodine and middle blocker Madi Farrell. Farrell leads the GNAC in hitting (.438) and is third in kills per set (4.12), and Bodine is second in kills (4.26).
A new star emerged for UAA last week in senior libero Keala Kaio-Perez — the GNAC's Defensive Player of the Week. She led the Seawolves with 54 digs in two matches.
Kaio-Perez, of Waimanalo, Hawaii, joined the team last season and played in 16 matches before suffering a season-ending knee injury in late September.
"(W)atching from the bench last year was terrible," Kaio-Perez said. "I just want to feel that energy that the team felt last year.
"I think this Thursday is going to be a great match to watch."
This week in UAA sports
Thursday
5 p.m. — No. 21 UAA volleyball at No. 12 Northwest Nazarene, Nampa, Idaho
Friday
6 p.m. — UAA hockey Green and Gold game, Wells Fargo Sports Complex
Saturday
6 p.m. — UAA volleyball at Central Washington, Ellensburg, Washington
7 p.m. — UAA hockey exhibition vs. Simon Fraser, McDonald Center