I just returned to my office following my trip to Alaska and a day
at home to recover some sleep.  I prepared the following yesterday,
so I apologize if some of this has already been posted.  (I don't
have the means to check my messages, or post, from home.)
 
 
THE GAMES:
 
15 OCTOBER 1993, CARLSON CENTER, FAIRBANKS AK
 
UM    0   2   2 -- 4     31 shots
UAF   1   2   0 -- 3     15 shots
 
16:03 UAF Fedorchuk 1 (MacMillan) PPG
28:01 UAF Fedorchuk 2 (Lester,Eckel) PPG
31:45 UM  Morrison 1 (Wiseman,Sakala) PPG
34:39 UM  Hilton 1 (Oliver) PPG
39:40 UAF Fedorchuk 3 (MacMillan,Lester) PPG
54:37 UM  Knuble 1 (Sacka)
58:13 UM  Wiseman 1 (Halko)
 
Goaltenders:
UM  Shields (12 saves)
UAF Moberg (27 saves)
 
After two periods, it appeared that whoever could get the last
power play would win the game.  UAF generated almost no even
strength offense, but their power play was deadly.  Dean Fedorchuk
(5'7", 160) parks himself to the goaltender's left and waits for
his teammates to find him, which they manage to do more often than
not.  Michigan controlled most of the even strength play, but
couldn't beat sophomore Larry Moberg.  In the final two minutes,
Steven Halko sent the puck behind the UAF net where Brian Wiseman
picked it up, wrapped around the post and beat Moberg to silence
the crowd and allow Michigan to escape with a victory.
 
16 OCTOBER 1993, CARLSON CENTER, FAIRBANKS AK
 
UM    0   5   1 -- 6     46 shots
UAF   1   2   0 -- 3     22 shots
 
19:32 UAF Spring 1 (unassisted)
22:56 UM  Morrison 2 (Sittler,Knuble) PPG
23:28 UAF Fedorchuk 4 (MacMillan,Lester) PPG
24:48 UM  Madden 1 (Oliver) PPG
25:42 UM  Stone 1 (Sloan,Arnold)
25:51 UM  Stone 2 (Willis)
29:03 UM  Morrison 3 (Sittler)
33:33 UAF Fedorchuk 5 (MacMillan,Eckel) PPG
49:27 UM  Hilton 2 (Madden)
 
Goaltenders:
UM  Shields (19 saves)
UAF Fish (40 saves)
 
Similar to game one in that Michigan dominated the even strength
play but couldn't contain the Nanooks power play.  UAF may have
made only two mistakes:
 
Mistake #1:  For some unknown reason, UAF decided to give Michigan
a physical game.  Not a good idea considering UM is one of the
larger teams in Division I.  The hitting escalated to a boil when
a UAF player cross-checked a UM player near the Wolverine bench
then followed through, connecting with the Michigan bench.  The UM
bench, led by Rick Willis, sent the guy sprawling back to the ice
and the whole house erupted.  Everyone on the ice bolted to the UM
bench and a minor slugfest began.  Fedorchuk had jumped right into
the middle of the fracas to mix it up with Willis when Mike Knuble
(6'3", 210) arrived on the scene and rocked Fedorchuk's world.
Both goaltenders made their way to the pile, but neither of them
participated in the altercation.  Apparently, Fish (5'10", 160)
shoved Shields (6'3", 210), but Shields just laughed at him.  When
the smoke cleared, two majors and four minors were handed out.  UAF
received an extra minor for their part in the skirmish but Brent
"even 'em up" Rutherford added a token penalty to Shields for
crossing the red line.  Fedorchuk was aided off the ice with a
minor concussion.
 
Mistake #2:  Fedorchuk returned to the game, and gave UAF a 2-1
lead early in the second with his fourth PPG of the series.  He
then took it upon himself to travel over to the UM bench with a
mile wide grin and a mile high chip on his shoulder.  He jawed with
some Wolverines just enough to wake them up.  Michigan scored four
times in the ensuing 5:35 to put the game away.
 
 
RANDOM NOTES AND THOUGHTS FROM THE JOURNEY:
 
  I spoke with UAF first year head coach Dave Laurion prior to
Saturday's game.  He was obviously disappointed following the
Friday loss, but in typical Ric Schafer fashion (Laurion was once
Schafer's assistant at UAF), he managed some humor: "I could have
had the best winning percentage among all Division I coaches, but
now I have the worst."
 
  I attended the UAF Face-Off Club luncheon on Friday afternoon.
The food was excellent and the 73 attendees were treated to talks
by Red Berenson and Laurion with comments from UAF seniors
Fedorchuk and Tavis MacMillan.  Fedorchuk pumped out the crowd
saying that the UAF program has arrived, they should be a top ten
team this season, and they will no longer accept moral victories
such as playing Maine tough last year (a 6-4 loss to the Black
Bears)...they will be not be satisfied by anything but a victory in
each game this season.
 
  Fedorchuk is a legitimate All-America candidate and may lead the
nation in goals and power play goals this season.  All five of his
tallies against Michigan came on the power play, and from the same
spot, but other teams will have trouble defending it as well,
especially if they're seeing UAF for the first time.  Fedorchuk
also made some nice moves on the penalty kill which will net him a
few shorthanded goals this season (he had six in 1991-92).  He is
carrying a big chip on his shoulder in his attempt to prove to
everyone that didn't recruit him that he is a Division I player.
This is a big motivational boost for him, but it can be for the
opposing team as well.  It also lands him in the penalty box (and
maybe the hospital), when UAF needs him on the ice.
 
  From the talks at the luncheon, it appears that UAF is headed for
a 22 game CCHA schedule in the future.  They will play each team
twice a season, on a rotating home basis.  Hence, the other 11 CCHA
teams will travel to Fairbanks every other season.  However, the
remainder of the CCHA would play a schedule similar to what they
have currently.  My personal observations are:
 
     This is a good idea that could be even better if the CCHA
     adopted a 22 game schedule for all teams, including other
     series on a rotating home basis.  For instance, Michigan could
     still play home-and-home versus teams such as MSU and WMU, but
     they could play at LSSU twice during years which they host UAF
     and vice-versa.  Each team would play 11 CCHA home and 11 CCHA
     road games per season, and the schedule would balance over two
     years.  Given that most CCHA teams play 2-4 tournament games,
     this would leave 8-10 games available for non-conference
     encounters.
 
     For anything to become a reality, UAF needs broader fan
     support.  The Carlson Center is a first class arena that
     should be at capacity (4600) for every game.  Against a first
     rate CCHA team (Michigan), the arena wasn't even 75% full.
     UAF should worry about filling that place before they concern
     themselves with joining the CCHA, otherwise the economics just
     don't add up.
 
  UAF appears to be a decent Division I team.  They should throttle
rival UAA in a home-and-home series this weekend to move their
record to 2-2-0.  They have the ability to advance to JLA in the
CCHA playoffs, but they will probably need to win it all, or at
least finish a strong second, to receive an NC$$ bid...which I
don't believe will happen.
 
  Apparently, there are no Hockey-L'ers in Fairbanks.
 
  If you are ever in Fairbanks, stop at The Dog Sled Saloon for a
beer and chili!
 
 
  John H
  U Mich