FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Contact: Jamie Schanback, UAF Sports Information Intern
907-474-6805

Nanooks Win First at the Joe, Down NMU, 6-3

DETROIT, MI - The University of Alaska Fairbanks utilized a well spread offense to score six goals, and got outstanding goaltending from freshman Wylie Rogers (Fairbanks, AK/Victoria-BCHL) to thwart Northern Michigan and capture their first Central Collegiate Hockey Association Super Six Tournament victory, defeating the Wildcats, 6-3, at the Joe Louis Arena Thursday evening.

With their third straight victory by a 6-3 score in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Playoffs, the Nanooks advanced to the semi-finals of the CCHA Super Six Tournament, where they will face first-seeded University of Michigan, Friday March 18, at 4:35 p.m. EST at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

The Nanooks pounced on the Wildcats first, when freshman forward Ryan McLeod (Fernie, BC/Salmon Arm-BCHL) beat on NMU goaltender Tuomas Tarkki at 7:26 of the first period while on the power play.  Senior Jason Grinevitch (Glendon, AB/Drayton Valley-AJHL) and Rogers assisted on the play.

The Wildcats got the equalizer from Rob Lehtinen at 10:18, and just over two minutes later took a one-goal lead when Tim Hartung lit the lamp for NMU.  The power-play marker was the Wildcats first and came off the sticks of Nathan Oystrick and Darin Olver.

UAF answered back at 18:17, when McLeod notched his second power-play goal of the game.  Grinevitch and junior Kelly Czuy (Calgary, AB/Canmore-AJHL) helped on the marker.

With the score locked at two goals apiece, and the Wildcats out shooting the Nanooks 10-6 after the first intermission, UAF stepped up its game as they came out in the second period.  Freshman forward Aaron Lee (Calgary, AB/Sherwood Park-AJHL) helped the Nanooks regain the lead two minutes and 18 seconds into the second stanza, when he sent the puck top shelf with assistance from Rogers and sophomore Curtis Fraser (Surrey, BC/Vernon-BCHL).

UAF continued to raise the bar, gaining a two-goal lead at 11:54 of the second period.  Grinevitch fired the power-play marker and eventual game winner from the point, converting on passes from McLeod and freshman Kyle Greentree (Victoria, BC/Victoria-BCHL).

NMU managed to cut the Nanooks lead for a second time when the 'Cats defenseman Nathan Oystrick notched a power-play goal to make the tally, 4-3.

Hard work and perseverance paid off as the Nanooks' Nathan Fornataro managed a short handed goal at the 8:36 mark of the final frame, the Nanooks' second such tally of the season.

And the puck didn't stop there.

With a minute and two seconds remaining NMU pulled Tarkki to put an extra attacker on the ice, in hopes of closing the two-goal gap.  UAF held the Wildcats at bay for the remainder of the game, and Greentree added an empty-net goal two seconds before the game clock expired to lift the Nanooks their 6-3 triumph.

"The biggest thing for us tonight, was Wylie Rogers," said UAF Head Coach Tavis MacMillan.  "He's been up and down throughout the season, but he's always managed to come up big in big games.  He did that tonight against a team with the conference player of the year.  We also had good production on the power play and we had some kids step up with big games."

Rogers finished the night with 25 saves and two assists while Tarkki, the CCHA Player of the Year, had 28.  Prior to Thursday's game, Tarkki had not allowed more than three goals in a game when playing against a conference opponent.

The Nanooks power play accounted for half of UAF's goals, as they were 3-for-7 with a man advantage.  NMU capitalized on two of their six power-play opportunities.

"The team continues to surprise me,” said MacMillan.  “They have started to take more ownership and responsibility for the team, and they are holding one another accountable.  This win has been a long time coming but our goal wasn't to come here and win one game.  It's to win the CCHA Championship.  Every time we've set out to do something that hasn't been done before this season, we've done it."

UAF will meet top-seeded Michigan, who had a bye and did not play Thursday, in the first semi-final game Friday afternoon at 4:35 p.m. EST.  Michigan State, which eliminated Nebraska-Omaha, 5-0, in Thursday’s other quarterfinal game, will face second-seeded Ohio State in the second semi-final game Friday night.

The winners of the semi-final games will meet in the championship game Saturday evening at 7:35 p.m. EST. The losers will play for third place at 4:05 p.m. EST Saturday.

KFXF-Fox Channel 7, Fairbanks is carrying FSN’s College Hockey Breakaway Weekend, and that will include complete live coverage of the CCHA semi-finals, beginning with the Nanooks game at 4:35 p.m. EST.  The game will also be broadcast live on KSUA-FM 91.5, with Bruce Cech and Terry Bauer.


-UAF HOCKEY-