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UAA erupts for 7-3 win over No. 2 Denver

Men's Ice Hockey UAA Media Relations

UAA erupts for 7-3 win over No. 2 Denver

ANCHORAGE (Nov. 7) - Junior forward Sean Wiles scored a pair of goals Saturday to lead an Alaska Anchorage offensive explosion in a 7-3 upset of 2nd-ranked Denver at Sullivan Arena.

A raucous crowd of 3,038 counted down the final seconds as UAA (4-6-0, 2-4-0 WCHA) tallied its most goals under 5th-year head coach Dave Shyiak and earned its second Western Collegiate Hockey Association victory of the season.

Denver (6-3-1, 4-1-1) suffered its first league defeat despite taking a 2-1 lead on Rhett Rakhshani's goal early in the second period.

The Seawolves got multi-point nights from five players, including a goal and two assists from freshman defenseman Lee Baldwin, as they equaled their most goals ever scored against DU and the most against anyone in nearly eight years.

DU started the scoring just six minutes into the action when Patrick Wiercioch slapped a shot past UAA's Bryce Christianson (20 saves), who was scrambling after making an initial save.

Wiles tied it with 2:55 showing on the first-period clock, slapping home a shot from the right point on a feed from freshman Daniel Naslund and Baldwin.

Trailing 2-1 midway through the second, senior winger Kevin Clark started UAA's onslaught with a power-play tally off assists from Kane Lafranchise and Baldwin. The Seawolves controlled the ensuing faceoff and took their first lead 30 seconds later when Naslund struck for his first career goal, converting a feed from defenseman Luka Vidmar.

Sophomore Curtis Leinweber then notched the eventual game-winner with 8:45 left in the second, getting his second goal of the year and giving UAA three strikes in a 100-second span.

Clark's tally was his team-best fifth of the year and 33rd in his 4-year career.

After DU's William Wren went to the box for elbowing early in the third, Baldwin took a feed from Clark and Tommy Grant (2 assists) to make it a 5-2 score with 18:33 remaining. Wiles would convert an unassisted breakaway at the 14:05 mark for his third goal of the season and UAA's fifth unanswered goal.

DU cut its deficit in half when Tyler Ruegsegger took advantage of a 5-minute major on Lafranchise (game DQ for kneeing), but that was all the Pioneers could manage.

Seawolf senior winger Josh Lunden added his third goal of the year and 42nd of his career for the final margin with 2:12 left.

It was the first two-goal outing for Wiles, who entered the evening with four goals in 54 career games.

The seven goals are the most for UAA since an 8-1 home win over Michigan Tech on Jan. 4, 2002.

The win puts UAA in eighth place in the WCHA standings, just one point behind next week's opponent, sixth-place Wisconsin. The Seawolves and Badgers begin their two-game series in Madison on Friday, Nov. 13 at 4:07 p.m.
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Players Mentioned

Kevin Clark

#9 Kevin Clark

F
5' 8"
Freshman
R
Josh Lunden

#21 Josh Lunden

F
6' 2"
Freshman
R
Bryce Christianson

#1 Bryce Christianson

G
6' 2"
Freshman
L
Tommy Grant

#16 Tommy Grant

F
6' 2"
Freshman
L
Kane Lafranchise

#4 Kane Lafranchise

D
6' 1"
Freshman
L
Luka Vidmar

#23 Luka Vidmar

D
6' 1"
Freshman
R
Sean Wiles

#27 Sean Wiles

F
6' 3"
Freshman
R
Curtis Leinweber

#11 Curtis Leinweber

D
5' 8"
Freshman
L
Lee Baldwin

#7 Lee Baldwin

D
6' 4"
Freshman
L
Daniel Naslund

#40 Daniel Naslund

F
6' 3"
Freshman
L

Players Mentioned

Kevin Clark

#9 Kevin Clark

5' 8"
Freshman
R
F
Josh Lunden

#21 Josh Lunden

6' 2"
Freshman
R
F
Bryce Christianson

#1 Bryce Christianson

6' 2"
Freshman
L
G
Tommy Grant

#16 Tommy Grant

6' 2"
Freshman
L
F
Kane Lafranchise

#4 Kane Lafranchise

6' 1"
Freshman
L
D
Luka Vidmar

#23 Luka Vidmar

6' 1"
Freshman
R
D
Sean Wiles

#27 Sean Wiles

6' 3"
Freshman
R
F
Curtis Leinweber

#11 Curtis Leinweber

5' 8"
Freshman
L
D
Lee Baldwin

#7 Lee Baldwin

6' 4"
Freshman
L
D
Daniel Naslund

#40 Daniel Naslund

6' 3"
Freshman
L
F