Lance West
The last time the UAH visited Fairbanks, Alaska was December of 1992, when Lance West was a sophomore for the Chargers.
“Those were definitely interesting trips with the guys. We’d go up there for four games, two in Fairbanks and two in Anchorage. I was able to score a shorthanded goal against a good friend of mine (Nanook goalie Jamie Loewen), so that was a pretty good time.”
Lance West fires a shot against the Nanooks in Huntsville.
The Chargers will be back in Fairbanks this weekend to take on Alaska at the Carlson Center, and West will be there as assistant coach — for the Nanooks. This will be the first time his club will face his alma mater, and he had not really given it much thought.
“Guys move around all the time in professional and college hockey. I haven’t really felt any emotion. I may feel different when the puck drops Friday night and I see the other bench. But right now I’m with UAF. I follow what’s been happening wth UAH and I wish them success, but not while we’re playing against them. It’s another hockey game.”
West, a center during his playing days, was captain in his senior season. His 106 points is 20th on UAH’s all-time scoring list, and his 43 goals are also 20th all-time. After graduating in 1995, West served as a volunteer assistant for the Chargers from 1995-1998, when the Chargers captured two Division II national championships. He served as an assistant coach under Doug Ross from 2000 to 2007.
Nanooks love disco: We can’t help but enjoy this video released this week featuring our opposition. It’s a funny video with a serious message about the importance of knowing CPR:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3-weAKXA7Q
Of course, no video featuring Alaska hockey is more outrageous than this famous Carlson Center intro video from a few years back:
Salhany feature: Kevin Pomeroy of the Warwick (R.I.) Beacon wrote a feature on Matt Salhany, who is leading the Chargers with 10 points as a freshman.
Charger family outing: Look who’s been trying out the game this week:
Hockey stick and puck!! Fun times with @UAHChargers athletic staff. Thanks to @Nick_L12 for the experience. pic.twitter.com/QBHV1OCkGU
— Les Stuedeman (@UAHCoachLes) January 28, 2014
By the way, the “bat and ball” games start this weekend at Charger Park. The baseball team plays Kentucky State in a pair of doubleheaders Friday and Saturday, and softball gets started Saturday with two games against Young Harris.
Around the WCHA: There was no movement in the WCHA standings last week, as all four conference series were splits.
On Friday, Ferris State lost its third straight conference game after winning its first 13 by dropping a 3-2 decision at Michigan Tech. The Bulldogs rebounded with a 3-0 win on Saturday, extending its lead atop the standings to four games over Minnesota State.
MSU was in non-conference action in the first North Star College Cup. The Mavericks lost to Minnesota-Duluth in a heartbreaking 5-4 overtime thriller in the semifinals, then fell to St. Cloud State 6-4 in the third-place game.
Third-place Bowling Green couldn’t gain ground at home after a split with Lake Superior, nor could fourth-place Alaska-Anchorage after losing and winning against Northern Michigan. Bemidji State traded shutouts at Alaska.
Ferris State remained ranked sixth in this week’s USCHO.com poll. Bowling Green and Minnesota State each received votes.
| WCHA Standings | Conference | Overall | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | Pts | W | L | T | |
| Ferris State | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 18 | 6 | 3 |
| Minnesota State | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 14 | 12 | 0 |
| Bowling Green | 20 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 5 |
| Alaska-Anchorage | 20 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 21 | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| Bemidji State | 20 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 20 | 8 | 13 | 7 |
| Northern Michigan | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 2 |
| Lake Superior State | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 1 |
| Alaska | 20 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 4 |
| Michigan Tech | 18 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 6 |
| Alabama-Huntsville | 16 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 1 |
THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA
All times Central.
* WCHA game.
Friday, January 31
* UAH at Alaska, 10 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Minnesota State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Saturday, February 1
* UAH at Alaska, 10 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Minnesota State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.