FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, 19 February, 2005
Contact: Dave Geringer, Sports Information Director
907-474-6807

Nanooks Fall Short Against Miami, 5-4


FAIRBANKS, AK-The University of Alaska Fairbanks hockey team saved their best for last in their Central Collegiate Hockey Association game against Miami University at the Carlson Center Saturday evening.

Unfortunately for the Nanooks, their late charge fell short, and the RedHawks staved off their final attack for a 5-4 victory and a sweep of the two-game series.

UAF trailed, 4-2, after MU scored three power play goals in the second period. Freshman right wing Ryan Muspratt (Calgary, AB/Camrose-AJHL) ignited the third period rally when he crashed the net and volleyed home the rebound of a shot by freshman left wing Troy Newton (Kimberley, BC/Trail-BCHL) at 1:34 of the third period.

Miami’s next shot found the net, as Nathan Davis scored his second goal of the game at 2:11 to make it 5-3.

The Nanooks came back once more. Freshman left wing Aaron Lee (Calgary, AB/Sherwood Park-AJHL) scored on an effort that was almost a carbon copy of Muspratt’s goal. He charged the net and slid a rebound past RedHawk goaltender Brandon Crawford-West. Junior right wing Kelly Czuy (Edmonton, AB/Canmore/AJHL) and senior defenseman Corbin Schmidt (Anchorage, AK/Tri-City-USHL) drew assists.

UAF out shot Miami in the third period, 15-4, and pulled goaltender Keith Bartusch (Sr. Graham, WA/Fairbanks-NPHL) with 1:03 remaining, but Crawford-West and his teammates kept the Nanooks from tying the game.

Alaska Fairbanks took a 2-1 first period lead with a pair of power play goals. Freshman center Lucas Burnett (Rossland, BC/Trail-BCHL) scored a power play goal at the 3:28 mark. Freshman left wing Kyle Greentree (Victoria, BC/Victoria-BCHL) and freshman center Ryan McLeod (Fernie, BC/Salmon Arm-BCHL) drew assists.

After Andy Nelson tied the game with a goal at 13:38, the Nanooks scored a power play with 57 seconds remaining in the first period. McLeod fired the puck past Crawford-West, with freshman defenseman Brandon Gawryletz (Trail, BC/Trail-BCHL) and sophomore defenseman Nathan Fornataro (Calgary, AB/Calgary-AJHL) assisting.

Miami turned the tide with three power play goals in the middle period. Todd Grant’s goal at 2:27, assisted by Matt Christie and Stephen Dennis, tied the game with Fornataro in the box.
McLeod received a major for checking from behind at 2:57, and Miami scored twice. Christie’s goal at the 4:00 mark, from Andy Greene and Marty Guerin, gave the RedHawks a 3-2 lead. Davis scored the first of his two goals a minute and 13 seconds later. His goal a 5:13 was assisted by Greene and Chris Michael.

McLeod’s penalty was the second major the Nanooks took. Freshman defenseman Darcy Campbell (Airdrie, AB/Olds-AJHL) received a major for checking from behind at the 15:32 mark of the first period. Both Campbell and McLeod also received game misconducts.

“Miami’s a good team, and we lost a few guys tonight, and it hurt us,” said UAF Head Coach Tavis MacMillan. We lost Darcy Campbell and Ryan McLeod with those penalties, and we also lost (freshman forward) Donald Johnson (Anaheim Hills, CA-South Surrey-BCHL) with an injury. I liked the way we responded in the third period. Troy Newton and Ryan Muspratt played well, and Lucas Burnett had a good game. But if you noticed, their best players were scoring, and our best players were taking penalties. We’re not going to win games when the other team’s best players are scoring, and ours are in the penalty box.”

The Nanooks out shot Miami, 27-24. MU had a 13-4 advantage in the second period, when they outscored UAF, 3-0. Crawford-West made 23 saves. Bartusch made three in relief of starter Wylie Rogers (Fr. Fairbanks, AK/Victoria-BCHL), who made 16 saves before he was replaced by Bartusch after the RedHawks’ fifth goal.

Alaska Fairbanks fell to 10-13-3 in the CCHA and 11-14-3 overall, while MU improved to 11-12-3 in league play and 15-15-4 overall. With the win, the RedHawks took sole possession of sixth place, two points ahead of UAF.

The Nanooks will return to action when they visit Nebraska-Omaha next weekend in their final CCHA series of the regular season.

-UAF HOCKEY-