FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 11, 2005
Contact: Dave Geringer, Sports Information Director
907-474-6807

NANOOKS DOWNMICHIGAN STATE, 6-5 IN OT

FAIRBANKS, AK-With the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ hockey team coming off a 2-1 road victory last week, and Michigan State having just played 2-2 and 1-1 ties on the road, the last thing anyone expected when the two teams met in a Central Collegiate Hockey Association game
Friday night at the Carlson Center was a shootout.

Surprise.

The Nanooks surrendered a pair of goals in the first period, scored five consecutive times to take the lead early in the third, then watched the Spartans come back with three goals in a row before freshman center Ryan McLeod’s (Fernie, BC/Salmon Arm-BCHL) goal 2:56 into overtime gave UAF a 6-5 victory.

Alaska Fairbanks won it when McLeod took a pass from freshman winger Ryan Muspratt (Calgary, AB/Camrose HS) and cut into the slot. His hard, low wrist shot deflected off a stick high into the net behind MSU goaltender Dominic Vicari to give the Nanooks their second straight win.

The Spartans had tied it with three goals in the third period. David Booth scored on a rebound at the 4:18 mark of the third period, then Booth won the ensuing face-off and fed Bryan Lerg, who beat UAF freshman goaltender Wylie Rogers (Fairbanks, AK/Victoria-BCHL) with a long slap shot to make it 5-4 at 4:41. Colton Fretter scored on his own rebound from the crease at 10:26 of the final period to tie the score at 5-all and set the stage for McLeod’s game-winning goal.

UAF trailed, 4-2, when they exploded for four goals in the second period to seize a 4-2 lead.

Sophomore center Curtis Fraser (Surrey, BC-Vernon-BCHL) was responsible for the first three goals, scoring three times in a row for a natural hat trick. All three goals came within a span of 4:50, and represented the Nanooks’ first hat trick of the season.

Fraser put UAF on the board when he took a pass from sophomore defenseman Nathan Fornataro (Calgary, AB/Calgary-AJHL), skated down the middle and broke in alone against Spartan goaltender Dominic Vicari. Fraser deked and slid a backhand shot into the net at the 1:03 mark. Freshman defenseman Darcy Campbell (Airdrie, AN-Olds-AJHL) also assisted.

“Nate Fornataro gave me a pass like that against Ohio State, and I missed,” said Fraser. “Tonight, I told him that if he gave me that breakaway pass again, I’d score.”

A moment later, Fraser’s second goal tied the score. With MSU’s Corey Potter in the penalty box for hooking Fraser took a pass from senior defenseman Corbin Schmidt (Anchorage, AK/Tri-City-NAHL) and blasted a slap shot over Vicari’s shoulder at 3:45 of the second period.

A little more than two minutes later, UAF had the lead. Fraser slid the puck along the goal line and scored from a bad angle at 5:53. Junior right wing Kelly Czuy (Edmonton, AB/Canmore-AJHL) and Fornataro assisted.

The Nanooks increased their lead by scoring on the power play with 32 seconds remaining in the second period. Czuy sent a perfect cross ice to senior center Jared Sylvestre (Bonnyville, AB/Bonnyville-AJHL), who blasted home a slap shot from the face off circle at the 19:32 mark. Senior forward Jason Grinevitch (Glendon, AB/Drayton Valley-AJHL) drew the other assist.
Fraser scored his fourth goal of the night at the 1:03 mark of the third period. MSU’s Jim McKenzie was off for elbowing when Fraser poked the rebound of Darcy Campbell’s shot into the net. Senior defenseman Corbin Schmidt (Anchorage, AK/Tri-City-USHL) assisted.

Michigan State took an early 2-0 lead. Defenseman Ethan Graham’s wrist shot from the right point sailed through a screen and over Rogers’ shoulder to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead at 11:46 of the first period. Less than a minute later, it was 2-0 as McKenzie took a pass in front of the net and scored from point-blank range at 12:43.

“What a roller coaster of a game,” said UAF Assistant Coach Wade Klippenstein after the game. “We got the lead and then we lost it, and we battled back and found a way to win. We’ve had trouble putting teams away, and we’ve learned the hard way a few times. Tonight, it was nice to learn and win at the same time. These were two big points that we got.”

The Nanooks out shot Michigan State, 48-36, with Vicari making 42 saves to 31 for Rogers. UAF scored on three of four power play chances, while the Spartans didn’t have a power play opportunity.

Alaska Fairbanks improved to 10-12-3 overall and 9-11-3 in CCHA play with the victory, while MSU fell to 13-12-4 and 8-10-3. The victory also gave the Nanooks sole possession of sixth place in the race for the final home playoff berth in the CCHA playoffs. The teams will conclude their two-game series at the Carlson Center Saturday evening. Game time is 7:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on KSUA FM 91.5, and telecast on a delayed basis Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on KFXF-TV, Channel Seven.


-UAF HOCKEY-