DULUTH, Minn. ? A three-goal third-period scoring outburst from sophomore Paul Crowder helped fuel Alaska Anchorage to a thrilling 5-3 come-from-behind road win at No. 15 Minnesota Duluth tonight.
The Seawolves, who handed the Bulldogs their first loss on home ice this season, improved to 5-5-4 overall and 2-5-3 in the WCHA with their second road win in of the year.
UAA notched a season-high four goals in the third period to complete the comeback, as it earned three of a possible four points against UMD (6-6-4, 5-6-3 WCHA).
Crowder, who entered the night goalless in his last eight games, recorded a natural hat trick by scoring three consecutive goals in an 11 minute, 37 second span in the third, including tallying scores on the power play and shorthanded. He also recorded an assist on UAA's fourth goal of the third period giving him a four point night.
Scoring UAA's other two goals were senior Merit Waldrop and freshman Craig Parkinson. Waldrop scored the lone second-period goal of the game at the 8:39 mark, tying the contest at 1-1, while Parkinson placed the puck in an empty net at 19:59 of the third.
Goaltender Jon Olthuis earned his fourth win of the season by stopping 29 shots, including 10 in the first period and 11 in the second. The sophomore, who is now 1-1-1 against UMD, would also earn his second career assist.
The Bulldogs owned a 2-1 lead early in the final frame on an even-strength score from Andrew Carroll at 1:58, but Crowder would strike on the power play 1:16 later knotting the game at 2-2.
Crowder would lift UAA to its first lead of the night with an even-strength marker at 11:44 of the third, and would give the ?Wolves a two-goal cushion with his first-career shorthanded goal at 14:51. The Victoria, B.C., products shorty would go down as the game winner.
UMD, which pulled goalie Alex Stalock (21 saves) with 2:23 remaining in regulation, would score on the power play at 19:09 (Jason Garrison) to pull to within one, but would get no closer as UAA would score an empty netter as time expired.
The Bulldogs, who outshot UAA 32-26, led 1-0 on a goal from Michael Gergen at 12:40 of the first period and owned a 2-1 advantage at the 1:58 mark of the third after a tally from Andrew Carroll.
Waldrop posted his second straight multi-point game with a goal and an assist, while junior defenseman Mat Robinson would record two assists. Both skaters earned assists on Crowder's game-winning goal.
The Seawolves were 1-of-3 with the man advantage while the Bulldogs were 1-of-5.
Crowder's hat trick was the first by a UAA skater since Martin Stuchlik rang the lamp three times at Minnesota on Feb. 12, 2005.
UAA returns home next weekend for a two-game series with Denver.
