Category Archives: 2019-20

Chargers blanked by Nanooks

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The Chargers lost 3-0 to Alaska at the Von Braun Center on Saturday.

UAH (2-21-5, 2-15-5-1) was shut out for the third time this season one night after scoring a season-high six in a tie on Friday.

The Chargers are eight points behind eighth-place Alaska Anchorage with six games to play. They head to Lake Superior State next week.

BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY

Alaska (14-13-3, 12-9-3-1 WCHA) got on the board quickly. Following a Teddy Rotenberger boarding penalty, Kylar Hope put in a rebound for a power-play goal at the 2:06 mark of the game.

But that was about it for the first period, where the Nanooks outshot the Chargers 10-7.

The Chargers looked strong early in the second but could not find the net, and Alaska went up 2-0 with another power play goal.

After Dayne Finnson’s roughing penalty, Tyler Cline scored for the Nanooks on a one-timer from the right circle.

The Chargers had two power plays in the third period to try to kickstart the offense, but did not muster a shot on goal in either of them. UAH went 0-for-4 on the power play in the game.

UAH could not solve Gustav Grigals, who stopped all 26 Charger shots for the shutout. Grigals had entered in the second period of Friday’s game in relief after the Nanooks had allowed three goals.

Tristan Thompson had a near rink-long empty-net goal with two seconds left to finish the game.

Charger netminder Mark Sinclair finished with 21 saves.

UAH was shut out at home for the first time since February 24, 2018 (3-0 to Bowling Green).

UPDATE: Freshman forward Josh Latta, UAH’s leading scorer this season, left the game late in the first period with a hand injury from being cut by a skate. His prognosis is unknown.

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UAH gets ‘frustrating’ tie in wild game with Alaska

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UAH had its largest offensive output of the season, but couldn’t hold on to a two-goal game late.

The Chargers and Alaska officially had a 6-6 tie on Friday at the Von Braun Center, with the Nanooks scoring early in the 3-on-3 extra overtime period to take two of three WCHA points.

But UAH (2-20-5, 2-14-5-1) held a 6-4 lead with five minutes to go before Alaska stormed back with two quick goals. The Chargers, who finally won their second game of the season last Saturday, were on the verge of back-to-back victories.

“Frustrating,” UAH head coach Mike Corbett said. “These are the games that we have to learn how to win, and we’ve got to shut the door. You’ve got to play the right way from start to finish and understand situational hockey when the score is 6-4.”

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The Chargers will try to at least keep an unbeaten streak going in the series finale Saturday at 7 p.m.

The game was out of the ordinary for its high scoring, particularly for the Chargers, who had only scored more than three goals twice this season.

Daneel Lategan put the Chargers up 1-0 just 1:34 into the game, as his deflection in front beat goaltender Anton Martinsson. His fifth tally of the season was assisted by Liam Izyk and Bauer Neudecker.

Izyk quickly made it 2-0 at the 5:57 mark when he tipped a Tanner Hickey blast up the middle for his third goal of the season. Connor Merkley also got an assist.

The freshman Izyk has been heating up with a three-game point-scoring streak. He also had a goal and an assist in last Saturday’s win over Michigan Tech.

Alaska (13-13-3, 11-9-3-1 WCHA) got on the board with a power-play goal from the right circle by Tyler Kline with 7:17 remaining in the opening period.

The Chargers went back up two at 3-1 when Austin Beaulieu drove up the right side and beat Martinsson high with a wrister with 2:23 remaining. Christian Rajic and Lucas Bahn with the assists.

That concluded an energetic first period with each team getting 12 shots on goal.

“We started well, besides their power-play goal,” Corbett said. “We took care of our chances in front of the net. We got two tipped goals and Austin Beaulieu scores a nice shot coming off the wing.”

Alaska switched to Gustavs Grigals in goal to start the second, and made it a one-goal game almost immediately.

Nanooks leading scorer Steven Jandric beat Mark Sinclair on a backhander through the slot just nine seconds in.

The Nanooks tied the game when Kyler Hope, all alone in front, had two chances on Sinclair following a centering pass. The goalie stopped the first, but not the second, and it was 3-3 just short of five minutes into the second.

UAH regained the lead at 4-3 with 8:34 left in the period. Tyr Thompson, who had a shot hit the post just a minute earlier, found the puck in the slot and whipped it around past Grigals.

The Chargers went up two again on another tipped shot. This time it was Connor Wood getting his fourth goal of the season by deflecting Max Coyle’s shot from the right circle with 3:58 left in the second.

UAH had its season high in goals at five with a period to spare. And they weren’t done yet.

Markus Komuls scored with 58 seconds left in the second to trim UAH’s lead to 5-4, but just nine seconds later, Rajic scored on the doorstep off a centering pass from Beaulieu and it was 6-4 UAH at the second intermission.

Josh Latta notched his team-leading 10th assist.

The scoring got quiet for most of the third until the Nanooks tied the game at 6-6 on back-to-back goals 18 seconds apart with just under five minutes left in regulation. James LaDouce and Max Newton did the deeds for Alaska.

Alaska had the most of the third period, outshooting the Chargers 13-5. The Nanooks had a 43-28 shots advantage for the game. Sinclair finished with 37 saves.

Despite the six-goal output, Corbett says there will be changes to the lineup for Saturday’s game.

“Our group has to understand that this is unacceptable,” Corbett said. “If you want to be a team that gets into the playoffs, this is unacceptable, and it’s disappointing.”

No goals occurred during the regular 5-on-5 overtime, leading to the Chargers’ fifth tie of the season. They are 0-0-5 after OT.

Tyler Cline ended the extra 3-on-3 overtime quickly, scoring 29 seconds in. UAH has only gotten one point in five extra-point opportunities this season.

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Chargers look for more wins against Alaska

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Alaska (13-13-2, 11-9-2-0 WCHA) at UAH (2-20-4, 2-14-4-1 WCHA)
WHERE: Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Ala.
WHEN: Friday, 7:07 p.m.; Saturday, 7:07 p.m.
WATCH: FloHockey.tv (subscription)
LISTEN: Penalty Box Radio (free)
PROMOTIONS: 
* Military Appreciation Weekend: Veterans and active military personnel get free admission to both games.
* Team photo giveaway on Friday.
* Kids 12-under get free admission, courtesy Huntsville International Airport.
TICKETS

The Chargers will try to build off a split with Michigan Tech when they return to the VBC this weekend to take on the Alaska Nanooks.

UAH ended a 12-game winless streak on Saturday with a 3-1 win over the Huskies. Michigan Tech won the first game 4-1 on Friday.

In the win, freshman Liam Izyk had a goal and an assist. He had three points on the weekend to earn him WCHA Rookie of the Week honors. Izyk has two goals and six assists for the season.

Goaltender Mark Sinclair had a .932 save percentage on the weekend. He had 40 saves in the first game and stopped 29 of 30 shots in the victory.

UAH remains in last place, cutting the deficit behind eighth-place Alaska Anchorage to nine points. The Chargers have eight games remaining while Anchorage has six. Ninth-place Ferris State is six points up on UAH.

The Nanooks have an eye on possibly hosting a first-round WCHA playoff series in Fairbanks. UAF is in fourth place with six games to go.

Idle last week, Alaska had a tie and loss at home to Northern Michigan two weeks ago.

A trio of juniors lead the Nanooks in scoring: Steven Jandric (8-12-20), Justin Young (9-8-17), and Max Newton (6-11-17). Goaltending has been split between senior Anton Martinsson (2.46 goals against, .922 save percentage in 17 games) and sophomore Gustavs Grigals (2.34 GAA, .905 SV% in 12 games).

On the bench, UAH alumnus Karlis Zirnis is an assistant coach for Alaska. Zirnis played at UAH from 1999-2003, scoring 119 points (second most in the school’s modern Division I era).

The Chargers and Nanooks last met last January in Huntsville, with Alaska getting a sweep. UAH split with Alaska in Fairbanks last season.

This week in the WCHA: All times Central. Games can be streamed online via subscription to FloHockey.tv.

Friday, February 7
Alaska at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
#15 Northern Michigan at #3 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.

Saturday, February 8
Alaska at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Michigan Tech, 4:07 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
#15 Northern Michigan at #3 Minnesota State, 6:07 p.m.

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Chargers end skid with win over Michigan Tech

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The Chargers withstood the storm, and finally got back in the win column.

UAH defeated Michigan Tech 3-1 on Saturday at the Von Braun Center, ending the Chargers’ 12-game winless streak.

The Chargers (2-20-4, 2-14-4-1 WCHA) took a lead into the third period for the second straight night, but this time finished the job. On Friday, a 1-0 lead turned into a 4-1 loss.

BOX SCORE

“The boys deserved it,” UAH head coach Mike Corbett said. “We played hard and we’ve been close many times, but we were able to finish it off tonight.”

Another solid performance by goaltender Mark Sinclair helped. The junior, who was a little under the weather this weekend, stopped 29 of 30 shots.

“I think we sweated it out of him,” Corbett said. “He played well. Mark’s been our guy all year. Once again, it was another well-deserved win for him.”

Michigan Tech (15-13-3, 10-10-2-0 WCHA), battling inconsistency in recent weeks and sit in fifth place in the WCHA, suffered a defeat to UAH for the third straight season.

The Chargers scored the first goal for the second straight night, and a bit earlier this time. Connor Wood drove toward the net from the right circle, deflected the puck off a Tech defender and past goaltender Matt Jurusik.

It was Wood’s third goal of the season. Ben Allen got his second assist.

UAH took a 2-0 lead with 2:23 left in the second period.

Bauer Neudecker drew a hooking penalty on a break after getting around a Husky defender. On the ensuing power play, Jack Jeffers pocketed in a loose puck in front for his sixth goal of the season. Liam Izyk and Christian Rajic had the assists.

“Izyk put it through the crease and I was lucky enough to have a wide-open net,” Jeffers said. “It was a great play by him.”

The goal wound up being the game-winner for Jeffers, who along with senior defenseman Connor James were left out of the lineup on Friday.

“Sometimes you sit a night and you get a little kick in the butt,” Corbett said. “And they know it. They’re two of our core players and they need to be our core players, and they responded well.”

It was an odd game for Neudecker, who committed three penalties. He had only one penalty in 61 career games with UAH coming in.

Michigan Tech dictated the action again in the third period. The Huskies cut UAH’s lead 2-1 on Tommy Parrottino’s goal in 4-on-4 play.

The Huskies had three opportunities on the power play in the third period. They pulled Jurusik for the extra attacker during the last chance after a Lucas Bahn slashing penalty with 2:14 to go.

“We always make it a little hard for ourselves at the end, but it was nice to get a win,” Corbett said.

UAH sealed the victory when Izyk scored from behind his own goal line into the empty net. It was Izyk’s second goal and the first short-handed goal for the Chargers this season.

The game was riddled with penalties, with each team getting 10 for 23 minutes. UAH went 1-for-7 on the power play, while Michigan Tech went 0-for-6.

“We just played period by period and you see what we can do when we play a complete game,” Jeffers said. “When we’re going up 2-0 going into the third, we have to win that game. From here on out, we’ve got to get points in every single game. You never know what can happen, and hopefully we can make a run at the playoffs.”

The Chargers still have a ways to go to get back into that WCHA playoff contention. UAH is eight points behind Alaska Anchorage for the eighth and final spot with eight games remaining and two games in hand.

UAH hosts Alaska, which is currently fourth in the league, next weekend at the VBC.

“We’ve got to beat some really good teams,” Corbett said. “We’ve got to beat the teams that are in the top three or four. To me, that’s the challenge. We put ourselves in this position, now we’ve got to be able to go for it.”

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Huskies bite Chargers with big third period

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Michigan Tech scored four unanswered, third-period goals to take down UAH 4-1 at the Von Braun Center on Friday.

UAH (1-20-4, 1-14-4-1 WCHA) held a 1-0 lead after two periods, but still saw its winless streak go to 12 games in front of a crowd of 2,113.

“We played hard. We played I’d say closer to 50 minutes than 40, and then we run out of gas,” UAH head coach Mike Corbett said. “Then you make mental errors, you turn pucks over, and you put yourself in a bad position.”

Michigan Tech (15-12-3, 10-9-2-0 WCHA) pulled to within three points of fourth-place Alaska in the WCHA standings.

Game two of the series is Saturday night at 7 p.m.

BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY

The Chargers were fortunate that it was scoreless at the first intermission, because the Huskies dominated possession in the opening period.

Michigan Tech had 19 shots on goal, coming from about all angles. But Mark Sinclair, making his 13th straight start, made all the stops despite not feeling 100 percent.

“They were taking it to us,” Corbett said. “They were winning races to pucks. We were winning faceoffs, but they were winning the races to the pucks. We just had to get the pucks first so we could have a better first touch on our puck.”

UAH started the second period putting on pressure of its own, and scored the opening goal at the 8:27 mark.

Liam Izyk drove the puck through the left circle toward the net. Husky goaltender Matt Juruski was got a piece of the puck with his left pad, but Daneel Lategan followed up to tip the puck in the net for his fourth goal of the season.

That was the only goal of the period, even though Tech had a few chances just wide late. UAH outshot MTU 8-5 for the second period.

The Huskies started out strong again in the third period, and burst ahead with three goals in a span of 5:05.

They tied the game at 1-1 on Raymond Brice’s rebound backhander with 15:39 to go. Sinclair had made 28 straight saves at that point en route to 40 total.

Tech took a 2-1 lead just 1:25 later after a Sinclair turnover led to a goal by Parker Saretsky.

The Chargers committed a couple of cross-checking penalties, and on one of the power plays, Brian Halonen won the battle in front of the UAH net to make it 3-1 with 10:34 remaining.

“You gotta fight through (those penalties), especially penalties behind the play or a lazy penalty,” Corbett said. “Nobody wants to kill those, but that’s the point where it hurts us. And we have to be able to fight through that.”

The Huskies tacked on another goal with 5:28 left as Logan Pietila scored.

MTU had 20 shots on goal in the third period and finished with a total of 44. UAH only had four shots in the third for a total of 19.

The Chargers did not have sophomore forward Jack Jeffers or senior defenseman Connor James in the lineup.

“Coach’s decision,” Corbett said. “We want to set a little bit of a tone with some of the guys, making sure they’re earning their spots and working hard at practice every day.”

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After long trip and break, Chargers host Michigan Tech

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Michigan Tech (14-12-3, 9-9-2-0 WCHA) at UAH (1-19-4, 1-13-4-1 WCHA)
WHERE: Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Ala.
WHEN: Friday, 7:07 p.m.; Saturday, 7:07 p.m.
WATCH: FloHockey.tv (subscription)
LISTEN: Penalty Box Radio (free)
PROMOTIONS: Kids 12-under get free general admission at the VBC box office, courtesy Huntsville International Airport.
TICKETS

Following a week off, the Chargers return to Propst Arena at Von Braun Center to host Michigan Tech.

UAH’s last action was two weeks ago in Anchorage, losing 5-1 and tying 2-2 against Alaska Anchorage (with UAA getting a second point in the 3-on-3 overtime). The Chargers find themselves 11 points behind the Seawolves for eighth place in the WCHA and the final conference playoff spot.

“We need anything we can get right now as far as momentum and points,” UAH head coach Mike Corbett said in his Tuesday talk with the media. “We had last weekend off, so we hope for a recharge and refuel. We’ve got to make some hay going down the stretch.”

Josh Latta scored his seventh goal of the season in the tie, putting him one behind Northern Michigan’s André Ghantous for most among WCHA freshmen. Latta has 16 points, which is tied for sixth in the WCHA among rookies.

Senior captain Austin Beaulieu has stepped it up of late, scoring three goals and two assists in his last five games.

Goaltender Mark Sinclair has played in 12 straight games with a goals against average of 3.36 and a save percentage of .905.

Michigan Tech sits in fifth place in the WCHA standings, six points behind Alaska for fourth and home ice in the first round of the playoffs.

The Huskies, dealing with offensive inconsistency and a flu outbreak, are 2-4-2 in their last eight games since winning the Great Lakes Invitational by beating Michigan and Michigan State. They split last weekend at home against ninth-place Ferris State.

“They’ve been up and down,” Corbett said. “They’ve had some really good, signature wins in their season, but they’ve also had the inconsistencies that a lot of teams have. For us to have the week off and them coming off of a split, that we’re going to get them at the right time.”

Sophomore forward Alec Broetzman leads the Huskies with 12 goals and 19 points this season.

Senior Matt Jurusik has been Tech’s leader between the pipes, posting a 2.08 goals against average (third in the WCHA) and .921 save percentage (fourth in the WCHA) with one shutout.

Michigan Tech leads the all-time series 16-2-2, including a 7-0-1 record in Huntsville. Last season, the Huskies took three of four, with UAH’s victory being a 1-0 shutout for Mark Sinclair (39 saves).

This week in the WCHA: All times Central. Games can be streamed online via subscription to FloHockey.tv.

Friday, January 31
Michigan Tech at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at #15 Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Bowling Green at #19 Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
#3 Minnesota State at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at USA Under-18 (exhibition), 6 p.m.

Saturday, February 1
Michigan Tech at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at #15 Northern Michigan, 5:07 p.m.
Bowling Green at #19 Bemidji State, 6:07 p.m.
#3 Minnesota State at Alaska Anchorage, 8:07 p.m.

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Hoof Beats: Kestner, Saulnier contribute at ECHL All-Stars

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Two UAH alumni participated in the ECHL All-Star Classic in Wichita, Kan., on Wednesday.

Both Josh Kestner of the Toledo Walleye and Brennan Saulnier of the Rapid City Rush were on the Western Conference team, which lost to the Eastern Conference 4-3 in the championship game.

The event featured four teams (Western Conference, Eastern Conference, and two teams from the host Wichita Thunder) playing a 3-on-3, round-robin tournament with a running clock and rally scoring. The teams were seeded based on total goals for the semifinals and championship.

Kestner scored a goal in the Western Conference’s first and third games, and one in the semifinals. Saulnier scored two goals in the semifinals. Bouth had a total of four points on the night.

Kestner also participated in the accuracy shooting competition of the skills challenge. He finished third out of four participants by hitting all four targets in 15.48 seconds.

Kestner has 42 points in 36 games for Toledo this season, leading the Walleye and putting him ninth in the ECHL. He’s tied for eighth in goals scored with 18.

Saulnier has 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in 36 games with Rapid City.

Forward commits: UAH received a commitment from Connor Szmul, a forward with the Chippewa Steel of the NAHL last Thursday (Jan. 16).

Szmul, rated 3.75 stars by recruiting site Neutral Zone, has 38 points (18 goals, 20 assists) with the Chippewa Steel of the NAHL this season. He’s a 5-foot-8, 155-pound left-hand shooter from Castle Rock, Colo.

While the Chargers got Szmul, they lost another forward recruit on the same day. Joey Baez of the NAHL’s Lone Star Brahmas switched his commitment to Army West Point.

Currently, UAH is expecting a six-member class joining the program this fall.

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UAH, UAA play to 2-2 tie

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UAH and Alaska Anchorage played to a 2-2 tie in Anchorage on Saturday, with UAA getting the extra WCHA point in the 3-on-3 overtime period.

The Chargers (1-19-4, 1-13-4-1 WCHA) ended a six-game losing streak, but their winless streak is now at 11 games (0-8-3).

Alaska Anchorage (4-14-4, 4-11-3-3 WCHA) took five of six points on the weekend, just as it did in Huntsville back in November.

There was no scoring in the first period. The Chargers had a couple of prime chances, but they were stymied by UAA goaltender Brandon Perrone, who was making his first collegiate start.

Perrone made a prime right pad save on Josh Latta alone in the slot, and then made a swinging glove save on Connor Merkley’s drive through traffic.

Alaska Anchorage scored a power-play goal at 12:07 of the second period following back-to-back penalties on Max Coyle and Dayne Finnson. Luc Brown powered a one-timer from the left point.

UAH tied the game at 1-1 as Finnson came out of the penalty box. Finnson found Lucas Bahn in front of the net, and the Henderson, Tennessee native notched his first collegiate goal and point with 5:59 left in the second.

With 12 seconds left in the second period, Josh Latta scored his sixth goal of the season to give the Chargers a 2-1 lead.

At the same time, Daneel Lategan, who passed to Latta for the primary assist, was hit in the head by UAA’s Aaron McPheters, who had launched himself. McPheters got a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

UAH began the third with almost all the major power play, but Anchorage tied the game at 2-2 with a short-handed goal. Alex Frye had the steal in the neutral zone, a breakaway, a deke on Mark Sinclair, and the goal at the 2:05 mark.

No scoring in the overtime period resulted in a draw. In the 3-on-3 overtime, Tanner Schachle scored with 2:18 remaining.

Sinclair had 19 saves total, while Perrone had 20.

The Chargers are off next week before hosting Michigan Tech (Jan. 31-Feb. 1) and Alaska (Feb. 7-8).

Seawolves break out in win over UAH

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Alaska Anchorage scored three goals in the first period and cruised to a 5-1 win over UAH at the Seawolf Sports Center in Anchorage on Friday night.

Austin Beaulieu provided the lone goal for the Chargers, who fell to 1-19-3 overall and 1-13-3-1 in the WCHA.

Alaska Anchorage (4-14-3, 4-11-2-2 WCHA) moved into eighth place in the WCHA standings, jumping over Ferris State. FSU is seven points ahead of the Chargers.

Game two of the series is at 8 p.m. CST from Anchorage.

The Seawolves came out peppering UAH goaltender Mark Sinclair (41 saves), and took a 1-0 lead at the 5:28 mark. Nick Wicks put in his own rebound from the left side.

UAA led 2-0 after Tony deGraaf scored just three minutes later, having on open net as the puck came to him with Sinclair out of position.

Zach Nazzarett scored with five minutes remaining to finish a dominant 3-0 first period for the Seawolves, who outshot the Chargers 20-10.

The Chargers asserted themselves for the first half of the second period, outshooting the Seawolves 11-2 at one point, but goaltender Kris Carlson kept UAH out of the net.

But UAA would crank up the shots again the rest of the second period, thanks in part to two power plays, to close the gap. But Sinclair, who felt a little pain on one particular save, posted a scoreless frame himself.

Tanner Schachle scored at the 2:18 mark of the third period to make it 4-0, but Austin Beaulieu answered 18 seconds later with a snapper from the right side to finally put UAH on the board.

A scare occurred in the Anchorage end just under four minutes into the period. UAA’s Zach Masson shoved Peyton Francis, who went into the corner backwards. His back and head hit the boards, and UAH training staff had to escort him off the ice, likely for concussion protocol. Masson received a minor boarding penalty.

Nazzarett scored his second goal of the night to put the Seawolves up 5-1.

With 10 minutes to go, the Chargers had a goal waved off. Beaulieu’s shot hit Carlson and trickled down to the ice and deflected off Josh Latta’s skate and in, but officials ruled after video review that Latta made unforced contact with the goaltender.

UAA outshot the Chargers 46-36.