Wednesday, November 27, 1991 at Snively Arena, Durham, NH
NONCONFERENCE GAME
Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves (7-2-0) 1 0 4 - 5
New Hampshire Wildcats (8-1-0) 0 2 2 - 4
FIRST PERIOD AA-NH
1. AA1, Derek Donald #6 (Brad Stewart, Steve Bogoyevac), 18:17. PPG 1-0
SECOND PERIOD
2. NH1, Kevin Thomson #2 (Bob Chebator, Jason Dexter), 12:53. 1-1
3. NH2, Greg Klym #2 (Scott Morrow, Joe Flanagan), 14:46. 1-2
THIRD PERIOD
4. AA2, Donald #7 (Dean Larson, Stewart), 0:23. PPG 2-2
5. AA3, Martin Bakula #3 (unassisted), 3:11. 3-2
6. AA4, Garnet Deschamps #5 (Kevin Brown), 9:51. 4-2
7. NH3, Thomson #3 (Ted Russell, Jim McGrath), 13:57. 4-3
8. AA5, Larson #4 (Brian Kraft, Trent Pankewicz), 15:40. GWG 5-3
9. NH4, McGrath #1 (Flanagan, Savo Mitrovic), 18:46. 5-4
SHOTS ON GOAL: Alaska-Anchorage 11--7--6 = 24
New Hampshire 4-11-15 = 30
GOALIES: AA, Paul Krake (5-2-0, 60:00, 30 shots-26 saves).
NH, Jeff Levy (7-1-0, 59:07, 24 shots-19 saves).
POWER PLAYS: AA, 2 of 4. NH, 0 of 6.
PENALTIES: AA, 9/18. NH, 7/14.
REFEREE: Jim Fitzgerald. LINESMEN: Jim Bletzer, Mike Tuell.
ATTENDANCE: 2,409 (capacity 3,599).
THREE STARS: 1. Derek Donald, AA (2-0--2).
2. Kevin Thomson, NH (2-0--2).
3. Paul Krake, AA (30 shots-26 saves).
In continuing my assault upon my all-time record for games seen in a
season (currently 27 for 1991-92) and also to scout UAA for the radio game
I'll be doing Friday, I ventured out to Lively Snively to scout the
Seawolves, thus this report. I'm not sure if Chris Craig, who has done
a fantastic job of covering UNH for HOCKEY-L this year, was at this game,
so I'll give you my impression from my voluminous notes.
There are no more unbeaten, untied teams in DivI. The UAA Seawolves were
very impressive in chalking up this win, which moves them to 10-10-1
lifetime against current HE opponents. Great goaltending and the best
defense I've seen this year bar none led the Seawolves onto victory.
They were just as impressive as they were last year when I saw their
two-game sweep of BC in the NC** first round. Folks, believe me when I
tell you this is a team of top 10 caliber. And Paul Krake deserves
consideration for All-America honors in net. They are without fantastic
Rob Conn, who signed with Chicago before the season, but they return
10 seniors and are experienced in every area.
The first period opened with UNH carrying the play, partly due to an
elbowing call called on UAA center Jim Tobin right on the opening draw.
But UNH's explosive power play was to be completely shut down all night
by UAA. UAA isn't a high-scoring team like NMU or Maine, but they have
a core of solid two-way players who take advantage of opportunities and
their set of six defensemen may be the best in college hockey. I say,
the best. I'm not sure who you'd call their defensive leader; maybe
senior Trent Pankewicz who blocked shots all night and also is so good
offensively, he plays left wing on the power play (2 of 4 tonight). But
newcomer Martin Bakula from Kladno, Czechoslovakia (the first such player
in DivI) is brilliant both ways. He is still a little rusty, but the
Anchorage writers I sat with told me they think he will get even better
and should be fabulous by about mid-season. Bakula has racked up 3-6--9
thus far to lead UAA defenseman in scoring.
UAA scored the only goal of the first period at 18:17, just four seconds
into a power play. Steve Bogoyevac won the draw back to Brad Stewart,
who slid it over to Derek Donald at the left point; his one-timer found
net behind Jeff Levy. Despite UNH's 8-0 start, the UNH people told me
they thought Levy wasn't playing that well, and he didn't look good
tonight. I don't think he was screened on the shot and he never got
a piece of it.
I missed about the first five minutes of the second because I was standing
in line at the (one) concession stand for about 20 minutes. I think
that line was longer than the Great Wall of China. UNH tied the game at
12:53 on a VERY questionable goal. Kevin Thomson took a pass in the slot
and his shot rang off the left post and came right back out, but to
everyone's surprise, referee Jim Fitzgerald skated right over, signalled
goal and pointed at the back of the net. I think he thought the puck
caromed off the back post of the net and came out, but I don't know how
he could have blown it, being as close as he was. No one in the press
box thought it should have been a goal, and later one of the Anchorage
writers said he had checked the tape (KBYR announcer Tom Miller both does
live radio *and* videotapes for UAA, which is interesting), which was
taken from right above the net, and it showed that the puck was deflected
by Krake, went off the post to his right, and came out - never crossing
the line. Fortunately for UAA, it didn't decide the game, although it
almost did.
The Wildcats went ahead at 14:46. Joe Flanagan carried across the blue
line and gave it to Scott Morrow, who fed Greg Klym high in the slot
and Klym beat Krake for a 2-1 lead. UNH, which dominated the period,
had several more chances too. Bakula took a good penalty when he
prevented Thomson from walking in alone, and on the PP both Morrow and
Mitrovic had good attempts turned aside by Krake. Every time I've seen
him, Krake has been marvelous. UAA had a chance of its own late when
Donald had a breakaway, but he was stopped on Levy's best save of the night.
Jim McGrath of UNH was called for hooking just 8 seconds into the third,
and again UAA wasted no time in tying the game at the 23 second mark.
Stewart fed Dean Larson down low, and Larson worked it to Donald in the
slot for a wrist shot that found nothing but net, glove side. At 3:11,
the Seawolves took the lead when Bakula stole the puck after a bad UNH pass
out of the corner; his one-timer from the top of the right circle gave
UAA a 3-2 lead.
Krake stood tall in turning aside good shots by Glenn Stewart and Domenic
Amodeo, and then his team beat Levy again to make it 4-2 at 9:51. On a
2x1, Kevin Brown carried the puck into the left circle and slid the puck
through the crease, but Garnet Deschamps wasn't covered well and he was
able to knock the pass into the net.
The Cats scored to make it 4-3 at 13:57, five seconds after a powerless
power play ended, when Thomson took a long pass at the UAA blue line,
moved into the UAA zone and scored. But less than two minutes later,
the Seawolves regained their two-goal lead when Brian Kraft threw the puck
up the boards out of his zone to Larson, who went one on one with a
UNH defenseman and just broke free enough to shoot the puck by Levy.
With 1:20 left, Levy headed to the bench for a sixth attacker, down 5-3,
and it took only six seconds for the Cats to score as defenseman Jim
McGrath tallied his first goal ever after 70 games. UNH pressured again,
looking for the game-tyer, but Krake robbed Flanagan and then, in a play
reminiscent of Merrimack's loss to Notre Dame, UAA iced the puck with
24 seconds left. The ensuing faceoff took about five minutes to drop.
Thomson and Lorne Knauft went off for delay of game when they battled
on the draw, then there was confusion over how many men UAA should have out
there since UNH still had five with its net empty. Finally, UAA pulled
a man off the ice and the puck was dropped, but while the Cats scurried
to set up a play, UAA's defense tied up the UNH forwards well behind the
net and the clock ran out to seal the UAA win.
NOTES
The difference in the game was clearly defense and the quality of it,
along with goaltending. Someone from UNH said before the game they were
hoping Levy would get his first shutout tonight, and I told them not to
make the mistake of underestimating UAA! They're a good team, not as
talented offensively as UNH but better defensively. I won't be surprised
to see UAA leave New England with three wins.
The win moved Krake into a tie on the UAA all-time list with former UAA
netminder Garvin Federenko for most all-time wins, 39. His record is
39-31-6.
I don't know that UNH came into the game underestimating UAA, it didn't
really look like it. UNH is still going to get their share of wins,
they're a good team but were a victim of poor play in their own end
as well as running into a great defensive team. They next face Clarkson
Saturday night which won't be quite as big as if they were 9-0, but it
should still be key as far as possible postseason seedings go.
---
Mike Machnik [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]
|
