Alaska Anchorage heads to Mariucci Arena this weekend to face No. 2 ?ranked Minnesota in the first round of the 2007 WCHA playoffs. The best-of-three series between the league's No. 10-seed (UAA) and No. 1-seed (MN) is slated to start at 4:07 (Alaska) Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary). The Seawolves, who dropped both regular season games to the Golden Gophers, were ousted by Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs last season.
SERIES QUICK HITS
● UAA: Two wins in last 13 games at Mariucci Arena (2-10-1)
● UAA: Seven of 13 all-time wins in series have been by one goal
● UAA: Winless in eight all-time playoff meetings vs. the Gophers
● MN: Outscored Seawolves 44-15 last eight games (8-0-0)
SEAWOLF HOCKEY ON THE NET: You can find information on UAA hockey, including player bios, stats and results, live statistics (home games only) along with KTZN/KENI radio broadcasts on the internet at www.GoSeawolves.com. Live and on-demand video webstreams of all Seawolf home games as well as select road contests can be accessed through GoSeawolves.com.
ON THE TUBE: UAA's playoff series at Minnesota will be televised live on GCI Cable Channel 1 in Anchorage. If the best-of-three series is extended to a deciding third game on Sunday, Mar. 11, GCI will also broadcast that game live.
THE SERIES AGAINST MINNESOTA
All-Time: Minnesota leads 41-13-5
At Minneapolis: Minnesota leads 20-5-2
First Meeting: Minnesota 5, UAA 1 (12/20/86 at Anchorage--Nissan/Jeep Classic)
Last Meeting: Minnesota 2, UAA 1 (2/3/07 at Anchorage)
Last 5: Minnesota leads 5-0-0
Last 10: Minnesota leads 8-1-1
Series Notes: UAA has lost its last eight games to Minnesota, including a pair of setbacks during the 2006-07 regular season in Anchorage (8-2, 2-1) ... the losing streak is the longest in the all-time series (59 all-time meetings) ... the ?Wolves had posted a three-game unbeaten streak (2-0-1) in the series prior to the current eight-game skid ... UAA last defeated the Gophers on Feb. 11, 2005, a 3-2 win in Minneapolis ... the Seawolves are 1-34-0 all time in the series when scoring two or fewer goals, but are 12-7-5 when scoring three or more ... seven of UAA's 13 all-time wins against Minnesota have been by one goal, with five of those victories ending in the same 3-2 score ... the 41 all-time losses to Minnesota are the most to a WCHA opponent ... UAA last won back-to-back games at Minnesota in Feb. 1994, when it swept the Gophers (3-2, 7-4) ... senior F Justin Bourne leads all active UAA players in goals (3) and points (9) against Minnesota in 15 career games ... UAA head coach Dave Shyiak is 0-8-0 all-time against Minnesota.
SCOUTING THE GOPHERS: Despite splitting its home series with Michigan Tech last weekend, Minnesota clinched its second-straight WCHA regular-season championship by virtue of its 3-1 victory over the Huskies last Friday ... owners of the MacNaughton Cup for the 12th time in program history, the Gophers are ranked No. 2 in both Division I college hockey polls this week ... Minnesota has gone 2-5-0 in its seven home dates, after going unbeaten at 11-0-2 its first 13 ... the top-scoring team in the WCHA (4th, NCAA) at 3.73 goals per game, Minnesota features 14 NHL draftees, including the top overall selection in the 2006 entry draft (D, Erik Johnson) ... freshmen Kyle Okposo (37) and Jay Barriball (36) lead the team in points ... one of four 30-point scorers, Okposo leads Minnesota in goals with 17 ... goaltender duties have been split between senior Kellen Briggs (14-6-2, 2.12 GAA, .917 sv%) and sophomore Jeff Frazee (12-2-1, 2.45, .900).
UAA WCHA PLAYOFFS NOTES: The Seawolves are 3-27 all-time in the first round of the WCHA playoffs ... all three wins have been over Wisconsin ... UAA hasn't advanced to the WCHA Final Five since 2004, when it knocked off the Badgers 2-games-to-1 in the first round ... including the Final Five tournament, the Seawolves are 4-29 all-time in the WCHA postseason ... this year's playoff series at Minnesota marks the 15th consecutive season UAA has been on the road for the first round of the playoffs ... the Seawolves have never hosted a first round playoff series ... UAA has faced Minnesota four previous times in the playoffs (2006, 1996, 1997, 1999) and is 0-8 ... UAA has been outscored 44-14 by Minnesota in its eight previous playoff meetings ... the Seawolves have gone 3-5 in their last eight first round playoff games since breaking an 0-22 WCHA postseason losing skid ... UAA has been held to two or fewer goals in 22 of 30 all-time first round contests ... former defenseman Brandon Segal (2004-05) is UAA's all-time leading WCHA postseason point scorer (Final Five included) with 7 points (1g, 6a) in nine games ... former forward and current Alaska Ace (ECHL) Vladimir Novak (2001-04) is the team's all-time leading goal scorer with 5 ... the most points a Seawolf has scored in a single playoff game is three, accomplished by both Chris Fournier (2004) and Tom Kowal (1996). Fournier tallied two goals and an assist in UAA's 4-1 win at Wisconsin on Mar. 14, 2004, while Kowal recorded three assists in the Seawolves' 6-5 loss at Minnesota on Mar. 1, 1996 ... three UAA players have notched two goals in one game. The last to do so was Martin Stuchlik, who registered a pair of goals in UAA's 4-3 loss at Wisconsin on Mar. 11, 2005 ... senior F Justin Bourne is the active leading scorer for the Seawolves in the WCHA postseason with 1-4--5 totals.
MORE SEAWOLVES FIRST ROUND DISH: This year marks the fifth time overall UAA has gone into the first round of the WCHA postseason as the 10th seed (1993, 1995, 2003, 2006) ... the Seawolves were an affiliate member of the league in 1992-93 and were automatically given the 10th seed ... since adopting the current playoff format in 1992-93, only one No. 10 seed has upset a No. 1 seed in the first round (Michigan Tech defeated Colorado College, 2-games-to-1 in 1994) ... in UAA's previous four match-ups with Minnesota in the playoffs, it has been the No. 6 seed (1999), No. 9 seed twice (1997 and 1996) and No. 10 seed (2006).
PLAYER NOTES: Sophomore F Jay Beagle recorded his second two-goal game of the season Feb. 23 at Minnesota Duluth. Tied for third on UAA in points with a career-best 19, Beagle has nearly doubled his point production from his rookie season (10 pts.) ... senior F Charlie Kronschnabel scored his first point since Nov. 17 with an assist in UAA's last series at UMD. UAA's team captain, Kronschnabel has missed 15 games this year due to injury ... freshman netminder Jon Olthuis has posted a .926 save percentage and a 2.39 GAA in his last five appearances. In that same span Olthuis has recorded two games of 30 or more saves ... junior goalie Nathan Lawson posted a season-high 41 saves in his last outing Feb. 14 at UMD ... senior D Chad Anderson is two points shy from becoming the 15th Seawolf bluleliner to score 50-career points. Anderson, who leads the WCHA in penalty minutes with 96, is currently tied for third on UAA in points with a career best 19 ... senior D Mark Smith needs just three points to reach 50 for his career ... senior F Justin Bourne broke UAA's all-time career-games played mark Feb. 17 by playing in his 144th game. The Kelowna, B.C., product has missed just one game in his entire Seawolf career.
TEAM NOTES: UAA hasn't won a road games since defeating Colorado College 5-4 in overtime on Dec. 8 ... the ?Wolves went 2-11-1 in WCHA road games this season ... four UAA skaters ? sophomore F Jay Beagle, senior F Justin Bourne, freshman F Paul Crowder and freshman F Josh Lunden ? have all tallied 10 goals this season, marking the first time in 12 years UAA has produced at least four 10-goal scorers in a single season. The feat also marks just the third time since joining the WCHA in 1993-94 the Seawolves have possessed four or more 10-goal scorers ... UAA went 9-8-1 on home ice this season, marking the first time it has gone over .500 at the Sully since 2001-02 ... the 12 wins the Seawolves have recorded are the most during the regular season since winning 12 in 2001-02 ... UAA is 5-1-1 when holding opponents without a goal on the power play ... the Seawolves have gone scoreless on the power play seven of their last 10 games ... when leading after two periods of play the Seawolves are unbeaten at 6-0-2 ... the 'Wolves have outshot opponents 15 times in 34 games this season. In the previous three seasons combined they only outshot opponents 11 times in 113 games ... the 35 power-play goals given up by UAA is its lowest totals since allowing 30 in 2002-03.
BOURNE TOPS 30: Senior F Justin Bourne became the first Seawolf to reach the 30-point plateau since 2003-04, when both Curtis Glencross (34) and Chris Fournier (32) surpassed that number. Bourne, who has talied 2-1--3 totals in the last three games after suffering a season-long four-game pointless skid, is just the third UAA skater in the last 10 seasons to tally 30 points in a single season. Since joining the WCHA in 1993-94, Bourne is the ninth Seawolf to score 30 or more points in a single season.
UAA vs RANKED OPPONENTS: The ?Wolves own an overall mark of 6-9-1 against ranked teams in 2006-07, posting wins over then-No. 5/7 Wisconsin (2-1, Nov. 4) and then-No. 9 Colorado College (5-4 OT, Dec. 8), and sweeps over then-No. 3 North Dakota (6-2, 4-2, Nov. 17-18) and then-No. 19 Alaska Fairbanks (4-1, 4-2, Dec. 29-30).
?WOLVES UNBEATEN IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: UAA went 4-0-2 in non-conference games this season, marking its first unbeaten non-conference emark since going 2-0 in 1996-97. The Seawolves went 1-0-1 at the own Nye Frontier Classic Tournament, posting a win over Hockey East's Merrimack and a tie over Nebraska-Omaha from the CCHA. The Seawolves claimed the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup against instate rival Alaska Fairbanks, going 3-0-1 against the CCHA club.
INJURY REPORT: Freshman F Josh Lunden is probable this weekend after missing the last six games (shoulder).
THE CAPTAINS: Wearing the captain “C” this season for Alaska Anchorage is senior forward Charlie Kronschnabel (St. Paul, Minn. ... the assistant captains in 2006-07 are junior defenseman Luke Beaverson (Vadnais Heights, Minn.), senior forward Justin Bourne (Kelowna, B.C.) and senior defenseman Mark Smith (Edmonton, Alberta).
ON DECK: If the Seawolves win their playoff series at Minnesota they will advance to the 2007 WCHA Final Five tournament Mar. 15-17 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
