This season got a little merrier for the Seawolves on Saturday.
The UAA hockey team, playing its final game before a two-week holiday break, ended a 13-game winless streak by beating Bemidji State 2-1 in overtime in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game in Bemidji, Minnesota.
The victory was the second of the season and the first in more than two months for the Seawolves, whose last victory was a 4-3 overtime win over Colorado College on Oct. 7. They skated to a 0-0 tie with Bowling Green on Nov. 7 but had lost eight straight since then.
The skid ended courtesy of senior Jeremiah Luedtke’s goal with 99 seconds left in the five-minute overtime period. Sophomore Trey deGraaf got the assist, and the Seawolves got their first WCHA win of the season.
“Our guys came into tonight with a focus of closing out the first half of the season on the right foot, and they left it all out there to get that job done,” UAA coach Matt Curley said in a release from UAA.
Bemidji State (8-8-2 overall, 6-5-1 WCHA) led 1-0 after one period but UAA (2-13-1, 1-10-1 WCHA) tied it early in the second period on an unassisted goal from junior defenseman David Trinkberger.
In overtime, UAA goalie Brody Claeys stopped two shots before Luedtke’s goal, which came on UAA’s first shot on goal during the extra period. Claeys finished with 28 saves, the day after Kris Carlson recorded 39 saves in a 5-1 loss to Bemidji on Friday.
The Seawolves gave up far fewer shots Saturday. The Beavers outshot them 44-21 on Friday and 29-23 on Saturday.
“We have worked extremely hard these past few months, and I think tonight’s win validated the work these guys have put in, and it gives us motivation to keep pushing forward the second half of the year,” Curley said.
UAA returns to action Dec. 29 and Dec. 31 at Nebraska-Omaha, a series that will mark the end of 10 straight road games for the Seawolves. On Jan. 4-5, they return to Sullivan Arena for a series against Lake Superior State.