Category Archives: 2015-16

Series Preview: at Alaska Anchorage, Jan. 29-30

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CATCHING THE GAMES
Friday, Jan. 29, 2016 – 10:07 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 – 10:07 p.m.
Team statistics: UAH | Alaska Anchorage

If the Chargers want to return to the WCHA playoffs, they will have to show it this weekend.

With 10 games to go, UAH is five points behind the eighth and final WCHA playoff spot, which is currently tied by Alaska Anchorage and Alaska. The Chargers travel to Anchorage to face the Seawolves this weekend in a series where they can’t afford to lose any ground. (Alaska is at Wisconsin in a non-conference series.)

Game time in Anchorage on Friday and Saturday night is 10:07 p.m. Central Time.

Matchup history: To gain ground on the Seawolves, the Chargers will have to win in Anchorage for the first time ever. UAH is 0-13 all-time against UAA in Anchorage dating back to its first visit in 1987. UAA leads the all-time series 19-4-2, including a 4-2-2 mark since UAH joined the WCHA in 2013. Back in October in Huntsville, the Seawolves and Chargers tied 3-3 before UAA took the second game 3-2.

Charger recap: UAH (5-16-3 overall, 3-12-3 WCHA) was idle last week after getting a tie and a loss at Ferris State two weeks ago.

On Friday, Jan. 15, Max McHugh tied the game up at 1-1 in the second period. Ferris State retook the lead early in the third before UAH stormed ahead 3-2 on goals by Matt Salhany and Tyler Poulsen. However, the Bulldogs forced over time on a Kenny Babinksi goal with 1:03 remaining in regulation. No scoring in overtime meant a 3-3 draw. Matt Larose needed to stop 46 Ferris State shots, the season high for a Charger goaltender.

On Saturday, Jan. 16, it was Josh Kestner who got the second-period equalizer, but Ferris State scored two in the second and one in the third to pull away and beat UAH 4-1. Carmine Guerriero make 34 saves.

In the first period of the second game, Brennan Saulnier received a game misconduct penalty for contact to the head of a Ferris State player. The WCHA has suspended Saulnier for the Anchorage series.

McHugh is tied for sixth in the WCHA in points with 20, and third for third in assists with 14. Chad Brears is tied for eighth in goals with nine.

Larose has a 1.51 goals against average and .957 save percentage in his last three starts, averaging 36.3 saves per game. He is fourth in the league in save percentage at .927.

LEADING SCORERS: Max McHugh (So., 6-14–20, 24 GP), Chad Brears (Sr., 9-8–17, 22 GP), Brennan Saulnier (So., 6-10–16, 22 GP), Brandon Parker (So., 2-6–8, 24 GP), Kurt Gosselin (Fr., 2-6–8, 19 GP)

GOALTENDING: Carmine Guerriero (Jr., 3.10 GAA, .903 SV%, 16 GP), Matt Larose (Jr., 2.28 GAA, .927 SV%, 9 GP)

UAH Tale of the tape
(WCHA rank)		 Ferris State
5-16-3 Overall record 9-12-3
3-12-3 (10th) WCHA record 6-10-2 (T-8th)
2.21 (9th) Goals/game 2.42 (T-7th)
3.08 (T-9th) Goals allowed/game 3.08 (T-9th)
14.2 (2nd) Pen. minutes/game 14.0 (3rd)
11.8% (9th) Power play 11.5% (10th)
85.3% (3rd) Penalty kill 80.2% (9th)

About the Seawolves: Alaska Anchorage (9-12-3 overall, 6-10-2 WCHA) has lost six of its last eight games. Last week, the Seawolves were swept at Bowling Green by a pair of 6-2 scores. They haven’t won at home since Nov. 15.

Senior Blake Tatchell and sophomore Ted Kozun continue to lead the Seawolves in scoring. Tatchell has 18 points (5 goals, 13 assists, tied for seventh in the WCHA), while Kozun tops the team in goals with 10 (tied for fifth in the WCHA).

Olivier Mantha is UAA’s top goaltender, sporting a .906 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average in 22 starts.

LEADING SCORERS: Blake Tatchell (Sr., 5-13–18, 24 GP), Ted Kozun (So., 10-5–15, 24 GP), Matt Anholt (So., 4-9–13, 24 GP), Mason Mitchell (Fr., 3-9–12, 19 GP), Austin Azurdia (So., 2-9–11, 23 GP)

GOALTENDING: Olivier Mantha (So., 2.90 GAA, .906 SV%, 22 GP), Jared D’Amico (So., 2.85 GAA, .903 SV%, 4 GP)

Around the WCHA: 

All times Central. Games featuring WCHA teams at home can be seen on WCHA.tv.

Friday, Jan. 29
UAH at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
#17 Michigan Tech at #18 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Minnesota Duluth at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 30
UAH at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
#17 Michigan Tech at #18 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
#19 Minnesota State vs. #3 St. Cloud State, 1 p.m. (North Star College Cup at St. Paul, Minn.)
Bemidji State vs. #20 Minnesota, 4 p.m. (North Star College Cup at St. Paul, Minn.)
Minnesota Duluth at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 31
North Star College Cup third-place game, 1 p.m.
North Star College Cup championship, 4 p.m.

Hoof Beats: McHugh nominated for Hobey

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Max McHugh

Max McHugh

Make it Max?

UAH sophomore center Max McHugh is one of the opening nominees for the Hobey Baker Award. Fan voting has begun on Facebook.

McHugh leads the Chargers with 20 points this season on six goals and a team-high 14 assists. He is currently tied for fourth in the WCHA in points and tied for second in assists.

Fans can vote once every 24 hours, and the top 10 candidates will advance. The Hobey Baker Award will be presented during the Frozen Four in Tampa on April 8.

Other WCHA nominees include Kyle Schempp and Gerald Mayhew of Ferris State, Alex Petan and Jamie Phillips of Michigan Tech, Dominik Shine and Atte Tolvanen of Northern Michigan, Chris Nell of Bowling Green, and Tyler Morley of Alaska.

Talbot’s new deal: UAH alumnus Cam Talbot signed a three-year contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.

Talbot, in his first season with Edmonton after being traded by the New York Rangers in the offseason, has a 2.56 goals against average and a .915 save percentage in 27 games this season.

Talbot played for the Chargers from 2007-10, posting a 3.03 goals against average and .909 save percentage in 70 games.

Saulnier suspended: Forward Brennan Saulnier has been suspended for two games by the WCHA, which will keep him from the lineup when the Chargers visit Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 29-30. He’ll be eligible to play Feb. 12-13 against Minnesota State.

Saulnier had received a game misconduct penalty for contact to the head of a Ferris State player in the first period of Saturday’s 4-1 loss.

Saulnier was suspended one game for a similar infraction at Lake Superior State on Oct. 30. He’s third on the Chargers with 16 points, and tied for second in goals with six.

Up next: The Chargers are off this weekend, preparing for a critical series at Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 29 and 30. After another off week, UAH hosts WCHA-leader Minnesota State on Feb. 12 and 13.

UAH finds itself needing wins desperately in Anchorage, where the Chargers have never won (0-13 since 1987). The Chargers are five points behind eighth place and the final playoff spot, currently held by both Alaska Anchorage and Alaska.

Chargers fall at Ferris State, 4-1

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The Chargers could not overcome the penalties, thus could not overcome the Bulldogs in a 4-1 loss in Big Rapids, Mich., on Saturday night.

BOX SCORE

Ferris State (10-9-5 overall, 8-7-3 WCHA) took three of four points in the series from UAH (5-16-3 overall, 3-12-3 WCHA), which find itself still five points behind eighth-place Alaska for the final WCHA playoff spot. UAH is three points behind Alaska Anchorage for ninth place, and the Chargers head to Anchorage on Jan. 29-30 after a bye week.

UAH was outshot 38-21 on Saturday after being outshot 49-21 in Friday’s 3-3 tie.

Also, the penalty bug continued from Friday into Saturday. UAH managed to survive eight Ferris State power plays Friday, but continued to give the Bulldogs chances with nine power play opportunities, including six in the first period alone.

On their third power play, the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead at 13:21 as Simon Denis put back a rebound on an open net following a Brandon Parker tripping penalty.

UAH committed five penalties for 21 minutes — the big one being on Brennan Saulnier, whose contact to the head of Chad McDonald left the Ferris State winger down for a few minutes. Saulnier got a five minute major and a game misconduct at the 14:29 mark.

The Chargers killed the major power play thanks to interruptions by two Ferris State penalties. During those 4-on-4 periods, the Chargers were able to exude some pressure in the Bulldog end, but could not find the equalizer.

In the end of the first, FSU had another big shots advantage at 14-6.

UAH tied the game in the second on a power play of its own. Following a 3-on-1 rush, Josh Kestner received a pass in the slot from Kurt Gosselin, beating FSU goaltender Darren Smith for his fifth goal of the season. Gosselin notched his sixth assist.

Ferris State pulled ahead with two late second-period goals. With 5:29 left in the period, Tyler Andrew deflected a Sean O’Rourke blast from the left point to beat Carmine Guerriero to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead.

Then with 46 seconds remaining, Brandon Anselmini scored in front to make it 3-1 Bulldogs.

The final straw was on yet another Charger penalty in the third period. Gosselin was called for hooking at 5:37, and McDonald scored on the resulting power play — the Bulldogs’ ninth of the game — at 7:34 for the final 4-1 score.

Guerriero finished with 34 saves on the night. Smith had 20 saves for the Bulldogs.

Chargers lose point to extra-attacker goal; 3-3 (OT)

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I think that this game was best summed up in our Slack chat tonight:

Could have won. Probably should have lost. Got a tie. All the mixed emotions.

Indeed, that’s a fair assessment.  UAH was out-shot 49-21 on Friday night in Big Rapids: sour sixteens in each of the regulation periods and just one in OT, thanks to Ferris having to kill a penalty.  But junior goaltender Matt Larose (Nanaimo, B.C.) was razor sharp, stopping 46 saves, a season-high for Charger netminders, and UAH got enough puck luck to push it to three goals for the third straight game.  But a fluky extra-attacker goal by the home squad

The Chargers sent a steady stream of white jerseys to the box, including a rare appearance by sophomore forward Max McHugh (Seattle), his first since November 7th.  In all, UAH was whistles for nine penalties taking 21 minutes, the one major a facemasking call against junior defenseman Brandon Carlson (Huntington, Beach, Calif.).

UAH returned to form with its fine penalty killing after a stumble last week against Alaska, stopping all eight opportunities and potting a shorthanded goal, as junior forward Matt Salhany (Warwick, R.I.) picked up a loose puck for a Stealhany to knot the game at 2-2 and deflate the home side.

BOX SCORE

For the Chargers, tonight’s game was all about sustained effort.  McHugh started the Chargers’ scoring off with his sixth of the season, banging home a backhander low past Ferris State freshman goaltender Darren Smith (Barrie, Ont.) after mucking and grinding down low with sophomore forward Brennan Saulnier (Halifax, Nova Scotia) to know bring the game level at 1-1.

After junior forward Jared VanWormer (Traverse City, Mich.) shocked the UAH defense by scoring :34 into the third and :09 after Saulnier’e penalty expired.  A cross-checking minor penalty committed by freshman forward Madison Dunn (Calgary) just :45 later spelled doom for the Chargers, who looked to be reeling.  Instead, Salhany’s quick reaction and fleet feet were combined with the right move to light the lamp.

UAH couldn’t capitalize on a couple of Ferris penalties, all on the route to go 0-for-6 with the man advantage on the evening.  But the Chargers then shocked the home crowd and pulled ahead when Marooney, Wilcox, and Poulsen brought tons of pressure, with freshman forward Tyler Poulsen (Arvada, Colo.) picking up the goal after finding the puck on a Ferris State stick and pushing it past Smith (18sv).

Sadly for the Chargers, the Bulldogs kept strong pressure in the UAH end, pulling Smith for an extra attacker and eventually getting senior forward Kenny Babinski (Midland, Michigan) his sixth goal of the year to dash the Herd’s hopes of pulling even with Alaska in the standings.  Neither team did much in the extra five minutes, even with the Bulldogs taking the penalty.

Larose moved to 3-4-1 on the season, his GAA edging up to 2.28 but his SV% moving to .927.  Smith is now 6-4-4.

As the Chargers seek to move out of the WCHA basement, they got no help from last week’s foe, Alaska, who won in overtime in Marquette.  The Chargers are still in last place with 9 league points, three behind 9th-place Alaska-Anchorage, who have three games in hand on the Chargers.

Series Preview: at Ferris State, Jan. 15-16

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CATCHING THE GAMES
Friday, Jan. 15, 2016 – 6:07 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 – 6:07 p.m.
Team statistics: UAH | Ferris State

The Chargers finally snapped their WCHA losing streak last week. Now they’ll try to build on it in Big Rapids, Michigan, where UAH takes on Ferris State on Friday and Saturday at Ewigleben Ice Arena.

Game time is 6:07 p.m. Central Time both nights.

Matchup history: Ferris State leads the all-time series 12-3-0 going back to 1985, including a 7-1-0 mark at home. Last season, UAH won in Big Rapids for the first time by a 3-2 score, but Ferris State still took the season series 3-1-0.

Matt Larose

Matt Larose made 28 saves in UAH’s win on Saturday. (Photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (5-15-2 overall, 3-11-2 WCHA) finally ended an 11-game winless streak in WCHA play by salvaging a split with Alaska at the Von Braun Center.

On Friday, the Chargers took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Chad Brears and Max McHugh, but the Nanooks rallied to tie. Brears added another goal in the second period to regain the lead for UAH, but the Nanooks scored four unanswered, including three in the third period, and won 6-3.

UAH burst to another 2-0 lead in the first period on Saturday, thanks to Cody Marooney and Josh Kestner, but this time Chargers made it hold. Kestner added another goal in the third period, and Alaska would not score until 1:58 remaining in the contest. Matt Larose stopped 28 of 29 shots as the Chargers won 3-1, UAH’s first win over the Nanooks since 1992.

UAH remains in last place in the WCHA, four points behind Alaska Anchorage and Alaska for the eighth and final playoff spot.

McHugh is in a three-way tie for second in the WCHA in points with 19, and leads the league in assists with 14. Brears is tied for fifth in goals with nine.

LEADING SCORERS: Max McHugh (So., 5-14–19, 22 GP), Chad Brears (Sr., 9-7–16, 20 GP), Brennan Saulnier (So., 6-9–15, 20 GP), Brandon Parker (So., 2-6–8, 22 GP), Kurt Gosselin (Fr., 2-5–7, 17 GP)

GOALTENDING: Carmine Guerriero (Jr., 3.04 GAA, .904 SV%, 15 GP), Matt Larose (Jr., 2.20 GAA, .924 SV%, 8 GP)

UAH Tale of the tape
(WCHA rank)		 Ferris State
5-15-2 Overall record 9-9-4
3-11-2 (10th) WCHA record 7-7-2 (5th)
2.23 (9th) Goals/game 2.59 (3rd)
3.05 (10th) Goals allowed/game 2.86 (8th)
13.3 (3rd) Pen. minutes/game 12.4 (6th)
13.0% (8th) Power play 15.2% (6th)
85.1% (4th) Penalty kill 80.8% (8th)

About the Bulldogs: Ferris State (9-9-4 overall, 7-7-2 WCHA) was idle last week. The Bulldogs’ last action was in the Mariucci Classic at Minnesota, where they lost to 7th-ranked Harvard 7-3 before beating Connecticut 5-2 in the third-place game.

Ferris State has gotten two points in all eight WCHA series it has played this season: seven splits and a pair of ties against Alaska. The Bulldogs sit tied for fifth place in the standings with Northern Michigan.

Gerald Mayhew leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 19 points, which is tied with McHugh for second in the WCHA. Corey Mackin is making a bid for league Rookie of the Year honors, leading all freshmen with seven goals and 16 points.

Darren Smith has been great as a freshman between the pipes with a .926 save percentage and 2.25 goals against average.

LEADING SCORERS: Gerald Mayhew (Jr., 6-13–19, 22 GP), Corey Macking (Fr., 7-9–16, 22 GP), Kyle Schempp (Jr., 6-8–14, 22 GP), Chad McDonald (Jr., 5-5–10, 17 GP), Andrew Dorantes (So., 4-6–10, 20 GP), Matt Robertson (Sr., 4-6–10, 22 GP)

GOALTENDING: Darren Smith (Fr., 2.25 GAA, .926 SV%, 14 GP), Charles Williams (Sr., 3.59 GAA, .885 SV%, 10 GP)

Around the WCHA: 

All times Central. Games featuring WCHA teams at home can be seen on WCHA.tv.

Friday, Jan. 15
UAH at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
#19 Minnesota State at Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Arizona State at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 16
UAH at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
#19 Minnesota State at Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
#16 Bowling Green at Miami, 6:05 p.m.
Arizona State at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 17
Alaska Anchorage at Lake Superior State, 4:07 p.m.

Kestner scores twice as UAH gets much-needed win over Alaska

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The Chargers needed a win in the worst way Saturday, and they got it thanks to a local.

Huntsville native Josh Kestner scored two goals, and Matt Larose made 28 saves, to lead UAH to a 3-1 victory over Alaska and a series split. It was UAH’s first win over Alaska since 1992, ending a streak of 11 straight victories for the Nanooks in the series.

BOX SCORE

The win pulled the Chargers (5-15-2 overall, 3-11-2 WCHA) back to four points behind Alaska (6-12-4, 4-10-4) for eighth place in the WCHA standings. Also tied for eighth was Alaska Anchorage, which lost to Bemidji State 5-1 late Saturday night.

UAH still has a ways to go to get back into playoff contention, but any win is a good win at this point as the Chargers have won only twice in the last 16 games. And it takes the sting of the frustrating 6-3 loss to the Nanooks on Friday.

Alaska came out with pressure to start the game, but the Chargers took control with two first-period goals.

The first came at the 3:09 mark, as Cody Marooney intercepted the puck at center ice, pushed it into Alaska territory and beat Nanook goaltender Davis Jones high and stick-side. It was Marooney’s fourth goal of the season, unassisted.

The second came on the power play at 6:59. Austin Vieth was called for cross-checking and Zach Frye was called for boarding Chad Brears (who was down for a couple of minutes and had to be escorted off the ice). Just after Vieth’s penalty expired, Kestner in the slot deflected a Kurt Gosselin bullet down the middle past Jones for a 2-0 Charger lead. Kestner’s third goal of the season was assisted by Gosselin and Cam Knight.

At that point, UAH had an 8-1 shots on goal advantage.

Alaska would get a couple of power play chances of their own, but their best chance at a goal was a gift from a UAH turnover during another Charger power play. John Mullally picked off the puck and took it on a breakaway. Larose came out to meet Mullally on the left side, leaving the net wide open, but Mullally fired it wide, and it remained 2-0 after the first period.

Both teams had chances to score in an up-and-down second period, but no goals were to be had.

Larose put the stops on a partial breakaway shot by Alec Hajdukovic to keep Alaska off the board, and made another body save on Marcus Basara in the first six minutes of the frame. The Nanooks had one goal waved off after the officials quickly whistled them for players in the crease.

At the other end, Jones was coming up big for UAF, particularly during a UAH power play late in the period to keep it a two-goal game after two.

Kestner struck again in the third to make it 3-0. Hans Gorowsky intercepted a pass at center ice, tipping it to Kestner, who drove it to the slot and beat Jones for his second goal of the game with 14:34 left.

The Nanooks made Larose work in the third, firing 14 shots on goal. Colton Sparrow finally broke the shutout when he beat Larose from the slot with 1:59 to go, ending Larose’s bid for this second shutout of the season and UAH’s first home shutout since 2003.

Larose finished with 28 saves for his third win of the season. Alaska outshot the Chargers 29-27.

UAH heads to Big Rapids, Mich., next weekend to take on Ferris State. The Chargers return home on Feb. 12 and 13 to face Minnesota State.

Nanooks roll in third to take down Chargers, 6-3

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It started with anticipation, excitement, and success. It ended with another bitter defeat, much like the Chargers’ 2015-16 season as a whole.

Alaska scored four unanswered goals, including three in the third period, to beat UAH 6-3 on Friday in front of season-high crowd of 3,521 and a national TV audience.

BOX SCORE

The Chargers (4-15-2 overall, 2-11-2 WCHA) are deeper in last place, now six points behind the Nanooks (6-11-4 overall, 4-9-4 WCHA) and further back from one of the eight conference playoff spots. UAH needs points in a hurry, starting with the rematch coming Saturday night at 7, to get back into contention.

The success came early with two UAH goals in the first 11:35. Chad Brears notched his eighth goal of the season, assisted by Max McHugh and Brennan Saulnier, at the 4:11 mark to get the crowd fired up.

Then McHugh scored on the power play — a rocket from near the blue line — for his fifth tally of the season and a 2-0 Charger lead. Brandon Parker and Brears got the assists.

Alaska would cut the lead at 2-1 with a power-play goal of their own, courtesy of the WCHA’s leading scorer, Tyler Morley, who was left all alone in front of UAH goalie Carmine Guerriero. The goal came with 4:35 left in the first period.

The Nanooks tied the game at 2-2 with a shorthanded goal off a turnover by Josh Atkinson at the 6:19 mark of the second.

Brears regained the lead just 1:22 later with his second goal of the game, helped by Kurt Gosselin and McHugh.

Marcus Basara tied the game at 3-3 at 10:23 of the second on another power play goal. The Nanooks went 2-for-3 on the power play after UAH had killed 39 of its last 40 shorthanded situations.

Video courtesy Penalty Box Radio

That’s how it stood after 40 minutes, setting the stage for an exciting third period. However, it all went Alaska’s way right from the start, and UAH never recovered.

Alec Hajdukovich gave the Nanooks their first lead of the game just 11 seconds in. Peter Krieger made it 5-3 at the 10:39 mark. And for the last straw, John Mullally scored Alaska’s third goal of the frame on only eight shots on goal.

It was not a good night for Guerriero, who although was screened plenty, allowed six goals on 29 shots.

Davis Jones got the win in net for Alaska, stopping 28 of 31 Charger shots on goal.

Series Preview: vs. Alaska, Jan. 8-9

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CATCHING THE GAMES
Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 – 7:07 p.m.
First 500 fans get free UAH Hockey trading cards
Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016 – 7:07 p.m.
First 500 fans get UAH foam mini hockey sticks
Kids 12-under get free gen. admission to both games
Television for Friday’s game
WHNT2: Comcast 1008, WOW! 908,
Charter 193, Mediacom 80
ASN: Check for availability | Clearance grid
MASN: DirectTV 640, Dish 432
Team statistics: UAH | Alaska

The second half of the Chargers’ WCHA schedule begins this weekend as they host the Alaska Nanooks on Friday and Saturday at the Von Braun Center. Game time is 7:07 p.m. both nights.

The series is crucial for UAH, which finds itself needing some victories to move back into playoff position. The Chargers are four points behind the Nanooks for ninth place in the WCHA and six points behind Alaska Anchorage and Lake Superior State for seventh.

On Friday, the first 500 fans receive a free set of UAH Hockey trading cards. The game will be televised by American Sports Network, and carried on WHNT2 in Huntsville and regional sports network MASN on satellite systems.

On Saturday, the first 500 fans receive a free UAH Hockey foam mini hockey stick. Kids 12 and under get free general admission to both games, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Matchup history: Alaska leads the all-time series 18-6-1 dating back to the first meeting in 1987, and is 6-3-1 all-time in Huntsville. The Nanooks are 6-0-0 against the Chargers since both programs joined the WCHA, including winning all four games last season. Alaska won 4-2 and 4-3 in overtime at the VBC last February. The last time UAH beat Alaska was in 1992.

guerriero

Carmine Guerriero (Photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (4-14-2 overall, 2-10-2 WCHA) lost two games at No. 2 North Dakota last weekend to finish its non-conference schedule.

On Friday, the Chargers were shut out for the first time all season by a 1-0 score. A power play goal by the Fighting Hawks in the second period ended a string of 34 straight penalties killed by UAH. Carmine Guerriero stopped 38 of 39 shots.

On Saturday, Richard Buri scored UAH’s lone goal in a 4-1 loss. Guerriero made another 34 saves in net.

The Chargers have killed 39 of their opponents’ last 40 power plays, lifting them up to second in the WCHA in penalty killing efficiency at 86.6 percent for the season.

Max McHugh is currently tied for sixth in the WCHA in scoring with 16 points, while Brennan Saulnier is tied for eigth with 15. McHugh is tied for second in assists with 12.

LEADING SCORERS: Max McHugh (So., 4-12–16, 20 GP), Brennan Saulnier (So., 6-9–15, 18 GP), Chad Brears (Sr., 7-6–13, 18 GP), Brandon Parker (So., 2-5–7, 20 GP), Jetlan Houcher (Fr., 4-2–6, 16 GP), Adam Wilcox (3-3–6, 19 GP)

GOALTENDING: Carmine Guerriero (Jr., 2.83 GAA, .911 SV%, 14 GP), Matt Larose (Jr., 2.40 GAA, .918 SV%, 7 GP)

UAH Tale of the tape
(WCHA rank)		 Alaska
4-14-2
2-10-2 WCHA
(10th)		 Record 5-11-4
3-9-4 WCHA (9th)
2.15 (9th) Goals/game 2.35 (T-6th)
3.00 (10th) Goals allowed/game 2.95 (9th)
14.1 (3rd) Pen. minutes/game 15.0 (1st)
12.5% (10th) Power play 12.8% (8th)
86.6% (2nd) Penalty kill 75.6% (10th)

About the Nanooks: Alaska (5-11-4 overall, 3-9-4 WCHA) has been playing plenty of bonus hockey as of late. The last three games for the Nanooks have gone to overtime, including both games last week against Bemidji State in Fairbanks. Alaska lost the first game 6-5 on Friday and tied the second game 1-1 on Saturday. Before the holiday break, the Nanooks won and tied at their arch-rival Alaska Anchorage, making for a 2-1-1 run over their last four.

Senior forward Tyler Morley is the big spark on the Nanooks’ offense, currently tied for the WCHA lead with 19 points. His 10 goals are tied for second in the league. Morley is coming in hot, scoring five points in the series against Bemidji State last week.

Alaska’s goaltending duties have been split by junior Davis Jones and freshman Jesse Jenks.

LEADING SCORERS: Tyler Morley (Sr., 10-9–19, 19 GP), Peter Krieger (So., 2-12–14, 20 GP, Zach Frye (So., 2-10–12, 20 GP, Tyler Munson (So., 6-4–10, 19 GP), Nolan Huysmans (Sr., 3-7–10, 20 GP)

GOALTENDING: Davis Jones (Jr., 3.19 GAA, .895 SV%, 10 GP), Jesse Jenks (Fr., 2.33 GAA, .924 SV%, 10 GP) 

This week in the WCHA:

All times Central. Games featuring WCHA teams at home can be seen on WCHA.tv.

Friday, Jan. 8
Alaska at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
#16 Bowling Green at Lake Superior State, 6:37 p.m.
Northern Michigan at #18 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Michigan Tech vs. Connecticut at Glendale, Ariz., 6 p.m. (Desert Hockey Classic)

Saturday, Jan. 9
Alaska at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
#16 Bowling Green at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
Northern Michigan at #18 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Michigan Tech vs. #12 Yale or Arizona State at Glendale, Ariz., 1 or 4 p.m. (Desert Hockey Classic)

Hoof Beats: Series with Alaska crucial to playoff run

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UPDATED with Friday’s televised game being carried on WHNT2 in Huntsville.

If the Chargers want to get back into the WCHA playoffs, they will need to do some damage this weekend.

A disappointing first half of the season has UAH in 10th and last place in the WCHA standings. The Chargers are 2-10-2 in league play with six points, four points behind ninth-place Alaska — this weekend’s opponent at the Von Braun Center.

The real target is eighth place or better, which is playoff qualification. Alaska Anchorage and Lake Superior State are tied for seventh with 12 points, two up on Alaska and six up on UAH. The Chargers must take advantage of this series to stay within sight of these clubs.

Alaska comes in after taking only one point against Bemidji State over the weekend, losing and tying the Beavers in a pair of overtime games in Fairbanks. Alaska Anchorage hosts Bemidji State and Lake Superior hosts Bowling Green as the second half of the conference season gets going in earnest.

UAH also needs to win this series because it only gets tougher the rest of the way. Eight of the final 12 games are on the road, including a trip to Anchorage, and the remaining four home games are against the top two teams in the WCHA (Minnesota State and Bowling Green).

Friday’s game is on TV: Friday night’s UAH game against Alaska at the VBC is nationally televised. The game will be broadcast by American Sports Network, which is primarily carried on local digital stations and some regional sports networks.

In Huntsville, the game will be carried on WHNT2. On cable systems, the game will be on Comcast channel 1008, WOW! channel 908, Charter channel 193, or Mediacom channel 80.

Friday’s game will be carried on the regional sports network MASN. For DirecTV subscribers with the DirecTV Sports Pack, the game will be on Channel 640. For Dish Network subscribers with the Multi-Sport Pack, the game will be on Channel 432.

Check the ASN web site to see if and how the game is available in your area.

Friday’s game was supposed to be joined in progress on TSN2 in Canada, but the current schedule no longer shows the game listed.

Local fans are encouraged to come to the game (we always encourage that, especially for an important series like this weekend’s) or watch online at WCHA.tv.

This week’s festivities: UAH will have the sixth trading card set being given away on Friday to the first 500 fans, courtesy of Colonial Printing.

On Saturday, the first 500 UAH fans get free foam mini hockey sticks, courtesy of American Promotions.

The Blue Line Club lunch will take place Friday at noon at the Varsity Room of Spragins Hall. Alaska coach Dallas Ferguson and the UAH coaching staff will be there to talk about this week’s series. Lawlers Barbecue will be catering.

Don’t tell him:

Umm…

No. 2 North Dakota finishes sweep with 4-1 win over UAH

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It was one of those “what can you do” series, where you try your best against a superior opponent and hope you get enough bounces to pull an upset. The Chargers played well, but not enough bounces came against the second-ranked team in the country.

Carmine Guerriero stopped another 34 shots, but UAH again could not solve a stalwart defense and a white-hot goaltender in a 4-1 loss at No. 2 North Dakota on Saturday.

BOX SCORE

Richard Buri got a fortunate bounce off a North Dakota defenseman on the only goal for the Chargers (4-14-2), who were shut out 1-0 on Friday.

North Dakota (18-2-2) scored just 25 seconds in, as defenseman Paul LaDue’s blast from the right point beat Guerriero for the first lead of the game.

The Fighting Hawks dominated possession and continued to fire pucks at Guerriero and the junior from Montreal continued to make tough saves — 18 in the first period alone.

UAH only had five shots in the opening period, but made that fifth one tied the game — albeit unintentionally — with 12.5 seconds remaining. Buri attempted a centering pass, and the puck was redirected by the stick of UND defenseman Keaton Thompson and squeezed between UND goalie Cam Johnson and the post. Buri was credited with the second goal of his career.

The goal ended a North Dakota record consecutive scoreless streak by Johnson. It was his first goal allowed in 298 minutes and 25 seconds. Johnson finished with 14 saves on the night.

The Chargers opened the second period with some extended offensive zone time, and had two power plays in the first half of the period.

But as the second of those power plays was about to expire, the Hawks retook the lead on a highlight-reel goal by their leading scorer, Drake Caggiula. Caggiula passed the puck around UAH defenseman Cody Champagne and snuck the puck past Guerriero with 11:44 remaining in the second. It was Caggiula’s 14th goal of the season.

North Dakota had a chance to extend their lead on the power play early in the third period, but UAH killed the penalty in part because of five blocked shots by Brandon Carlson.

The Fighting Hawks would finally seal the game late. With a faceoff in the UND zone with 2:02 left, Guerriero was pulled for an extra attacker, but Bryn Chyzyk was able to take the puck down and score the empty-netter to make it 3-1 with 1:52 remaining.

Tucker Poolman made it 4-1 on a blast with Guerriero back in the net with 48.5 seconds to go.

UAH was outshot 38-15. The Chargers were 37-26 on faceoffs.

The Chargers resume WCHA play next Friday and Saturday at the Von Braun Center against Alaska.