The power plays. The penalty shot. The 2-on-1 shorthanded breaks. So many chances went for naught.
The Chargers lost to Alaska 3-1 at the VBC on Friday, seeing their 3-game overall unbeaten streak and 3-game home winning streak come to an end. UAH will go for the series split Saturday at 7 p.m. as Military Appreciation Weekend continues.
UAH (6-20-1 overall, 6-12-1-1 WCHA) went 0-for-7 on the power play and outshot the Nanooks 32-29.
Anton Martinsson was the answer for Alaska (7-16-2, 7-11-1-1), which moved three points up on UAH for sole possession of seventh place in the WCHA standings. The junior goaltender made 31 saves, including a diving stop on Connor Merkley’s penalty shot in the third period.
The Chargers struck first when Bauer Neudecker’s backhander from the left circle beat Martinsson at the 8:16 mark of the first period.
Neudecker’s fifth goal of the season was assisted by Jack Jeffers and Madison Dunn.
UAH had a chance to increase its lead with a two-man advantage for over a minute late in the first, but the Martinsson and the Nanooks kept the Chargers at bay.
At 2:11 of the second, Bailey Newton boarded Jack Weiss hard, and got a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Newton has taken a sizeable team lead in penalty minutes in his freshman season with 51.
Two minutes of the major penalty were killed almost immediately with an Alaska penalty, but the Nanooks capitalized when the power play resumed. Kylar Hope’s redirection past UAH goalie Mark Sinclair (26 saves) tied the game up at 1-1 at 6:26.
UAH give the lead to the Nanooks. Colton Leiter scored just after the halfway point of the game to put Alaska up 2-1.
The Charger power play, which went 4-for-9 against Alaska Anchorage last week, struggled through the second and third periods, making missed chances for them to tie the game.
With 16:23 to go, Merkley was hooked on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. Martinsson dove ahead on the attempt and swiped the puck away from Merkley before he could get a good shot.
Max Newton increased Alaska’s lead to 3-1 after scoring with 10:58 to go.
Even while getting breaks shorthanded, UAH couldn’t get the payoff. Hans Gorowsky and Drew Lennon each had chances on 2-on-1 breaks that were swept aside by Martinsson.N