It was Senior Night at the Carlson Center on Saturday as 3,582 fans
gathered to watch seven Nanooks skate in their final home game.
Defensemen Marcel Aubin and Kirk Patton, forwards Dima Kulmanovsky, Chris
Carney, Warren Carter and Corey Spring as well as goaltender Brian Fish
were honored prior to the game.  With the exception of an absent
Kulmanovsky, the seniors all started the game for UAF and went on to power
the Nanooks to a 5-3 victory over Mankato State.
 
The game began much like the previous night's contest, with MSU
outshooting the Nanooks but a more patient UAF team controlling the play.
Corey Spring again scored the opening goal, following in a Mark Cotter
slap shot and rifling the rebound past Maverick goalie Ron Bookler at 8:52
of the first period.  Warren Carter was credited with the second assist.
Just over two minutes later, Nanook sophomore Rob Phillips took a
beautiful feed from the right corner behind the MSU net and deposited the
puck high over Bookler's outstretched glove for a 2-0 UAF lead.  Assists
went to Dallas Ferguson and Marcel Aubin, though it was Fergusons perfect
pass in front to Phillips which really keyed the play.  MSU offered a few
shots on Fish but most were pucks dumped as a result of 1-on-2 or 2-on-3
rushes into the Nanook zone.  As a result, the Mavericks held a 17-12
advantage in shots but trailed 2-0 after the first twenty minutes.
 
Like Friday's game, UAF again came out flying in the second, as Spring
netted his second goal of the night just 38 seconds into the period.
Again, it was Ferguson feeding the puck to a streaking Spring in front of
Bookler, who could only watch as the puck sailed over his shoulder for the
third UAF goal.  MSU's defensive lapses continued, leaving Nanook forwards
unchecked in front of the Maverick net.  At 6:29, Forrest Gore exploited
this weakness, wristing a quick shot high and past Bookler for a 4-0 UAF
lead.  Trent Schachle and Cody Bowtell assisted on the play.  MSU was far
from dead, however, as they scored two quick goals to send groans
throughout the crowd.
 
The first Maverick goal was scored on a textbook centering pass from Aaron
Broten (any relation to Neal...?) to Chris Hvinden who was charging the
Nanook net.  Hvinden could not have been more than 2 feet in front of Fish
when the puck got to him from the far corner but he was able to redirect
the pass just enough to light the red lamp.  Also assisting on the goal
was Maverick winger Corey Grassel.  Time of the goal was 7:59 of the
second.  Then, with Kirk Patton riding the pine for elbowing, Jason
Rintala finished off a spectacular 2-on-1 breakaway with help from Ryan
Rintoul for the power play goal at 10:34.  Throughout the 3 or so minute
span in which the two MSU goals were scored, the Nanook defense appeared
to be in hibernation, standing still as the speedy Maverick forwards
zipped by on their way to the net.
 
Just 19 seconds later, though, UAF struck again for the game-breaking
goal, as Schachle put the finishing touches on a 3-on-2 rush.  The big
junior from Wasilla, Alaska (a blatant plug for my alma mater...)
displayed soft hands in close against Bookler.  His score was set up by
linemates Gore and Bowtell.  Schachle's goal gave UAF a 5-2 lead which
held up until the second intermission.  Shots during the period showed UAF
with a 16-9 edge.
 
The third period proved to be a clinic put on by the Ron Bookler School of
Goaltending, as the MSU netminder completely shut down the potent UAF
scoring attack.  His cause was helped by senior defenseman Brian Lyke,
whose slapshot at 15:39 beat Brian Fish on the stick side and brought the
Mavericks to within 2 with just under four and a half minutes to play.
UAF's Mark Cotter and Rob Phillips drew penalties in the final three
minutes, giving the Mavericks a 5-3 power play as the game wound down.
Oddly, MSU did not pull Bookler for the extra skater and were unable to
seriously threaten as time expired.  They appeared to simply run out of
gas when they needed to step up the play at game's end.  Their fatigue
showed in the period shots on goal, as MSU mustered only nine tries
against Fish and the Nanook net.
 
Despite the loss, Bookler was really on top of his game once again,
stopping 43 of 48 shots on the night, including all 20 he faced in the
third period.  Most were high quality shots from the slot where his
lightning quick glove and leg pads stoned UAF on numerous occasions.  On
one particular play late in the third period, he stopped three shots in
rapid succession from two Nanooks skaters in the crease with no help
whatsoever from his defense.  Without his stellar effort, the Nanooks
would have likely posted double digit scoring.  He would definitely earn
my first star, with the others going to Corey Spring and Brian Fish, who
stopped 32 of 35 MSU shots, many of which were transitional plays
requiring quick reflexes after long stretches of inactivity.
 
Looking ahead to Tuesday's play-in against Ohio State, UAF did indeed
climb on a plane shortly after midnight.  They are due to arrive in
Columbus at around 4:00 Sunday afternoon.  It is my understanding that the
Nanooks want to get in some extra time on the small ice at OSU.  If UAF
wins, they will likely play a best-of-three game series later in the week
at Bowling Green.  Spring break at UAF is March 13-18, so the team will
miss class this week but will be off the following week to head to the Joe
:) or fly home and study :( Although I have not seen next season's
schedule, I hear that minimizing absences from class was a prime concern
in formulating travel plans, both for UAF and their CCHA opponents
traveling to Fairbanks.
 
Look for a tough game against OSU.  Both squads are playing good hockey as
of late and have something of an axe to grind.  UAF is still fighting the
battle for respectability in their new conference while Ohio State would
love a little revenge against the Nanooks following back-to-back 5-3
losses here in January.  I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who attends
the game in person, as radio just isn't quite the same...
 
Mark Sonnier
UAF '90, '96