The Seawolves chalked up another win, and against a WCHA team no
less, in front of their 5th consecutive sellout crowd this season
(5/5).  North Dakota was impressive to watch, and did not at all
make it easy on the Seawolves.  UAA goaltender Sean Gravistin
(who apparently learned a great deal by watching Paul [the Wall]
Krake for three years) stopped two 1-0 break aways and kept the
Wolves in the game early on, and most definitely earned the game
MVP as he lead his team to their first victory against North
Dakota in eight games.
 
Goal Scoring:   UAA:  0-0-3        Power plays:  UAA:  0 for 3
                UND:  1-1-0                      UND:  2 for 10
 
1    UND  Darcy Mitani    4:53     PP        Shots on goal:
2    UND  Greg Johnson   11:24     PP            UAA: 7--4-11  22
3    UAA  Mitch Kean       :09                   UND: 8-19--1  28
3    UAA  Mark Stitt     12:09
3    UAA  Kevin Brown    19:33     GW
 
 
North Dakota came out storming, and one knew it was going to be a
long game when Darcy Mitani slapped in an easy power play goal
for the Fighting Sioux from the bottom of the left circle with
the game less then five minutes underway.  About three minutes
later, UND had a goal waved as a North Dakota player skated
behind Gravistin in the crease as a shot was fired from the top
of the right.  Then, to top it off, they had a second goal waved
as the puck was kicked in...(Sounds like our series with Northern
Michigan at the 1991 Nissan Jeep Classic, except we were the one
not getting credit for the goals...hehe)
 
The second period was very bad for the Seawolves, as they
received penalty after penalty after penalty...  There was one
time when the Sioux had a 90 seconds of 5-3 followed by half a
minute of 5-4, and UAA held them off.  Though, after Mitch Keen
received a holding penalty, Greg Johnson (who was most impressive
to watch btw) got credit for a goal as a pass through the upper
side of the crease was defected 120 degrees of the skate of a UAA
player back into the net.  That ended Dakota's scoring but they
continued to pound the net with power play shots...only to be
turned away by Gravistin.
 
I guess having North Dakota make them look bad for two periods
finally got to the Seawolves, as they came out in the third
determined to give it their best.  It didn't hurt that Mitch Keen
went 1-0 with netminder Powell nine seconds into the period to
put the Wolves on the board.  UAA continued to pressure, and the
crowd was really getting into the game.  Finally, at 12:09, Mark
Stitt was able to break away from everyone as Keen had done, and
slap the puck in to tie it up.  OK, can you say intense?  By the
time the last couple of minutes had rolled around, the Sullivan
was rock'in and roll'in.
 
     Kevin Brown snags the puck...  He shoots it straight at the
     goal... It rebounds off to the left.  He picks it up and
     goes around the net to the right side, up towards the center
     of the circle...  It's clear...  he slaps it home between
     the legs of Powell!  The crowd, which was already on their
     feet gives a ROARING approval, as the game with 27 seconds
     remaining, is all but over now.
 
I thought that I had finally gotten my "hockey voice" (being able
to go through a game, and still howl at the end) back, but when
Brown slapped that one in, I lost it....could hardly talk in the
end for that matter.  :)
 
Well, it will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.
Hopefully, UAA will keep the penalties down a bit better, and
continue where they left off at the end of the third tonigh...
 
HOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sk