ANCHORAGE
– Senior forward Kevin Clark netted the game-winning goal, lifting the Alaska
Anchorage Seawolves over the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 2-1 in a Western
Collegiate Hockey Association game in front of 3,632 spectators at the Sullivan
Arena on Saturday evening.
Minnesota
(13-13-2, 9-10-2 WCHA) struck first in the opening stanza, but the Seawolves
(10-15-1, 8-13-1 WCHA) responded with two special-team goals in the second
period, giving UAA the league victory.
At 15:05 of the first frame, freshman forward Zach Budish
found the mesh with a one-timer, giving the Gophers the 1-0 lead going into the
first intermission. Junior forward Jacob Cepis and sophomore forward Jordan
Schroeder were credited with the assists.
With just 37 seconds expired on the clock in the second
period, senior forward Josh Lunden registered his sixth goal of the season and
his 17th career power-play goal. Freshman forward Alex Gellert fired
a shot on UM's goaltender Alex Kangas, Clark
picked up the rebound and found Lunden for the game-tying goal.
The Seawolves took the lead with a short-handed goal when
junior defenseman Kane Lafranchise and freshman defenseman Lee Baldwin fed Clark the puck at center ice for a breakaway. Clark sent a backhander past the Gophers netminder,
junior Alex Kangas (22 saves) for the win at 14:02.
Both teams battled for control of the puck in the third
period, but neither team was able to profit.
Senior goaltender Jon Olthuis (23 saves) kept the Seawolves
in the game with numerous remarkable saves, improving his record to 7-9-1.
Both teams posted 24 shots on net. UAA out shot Minnesota, 19-16 after
the first two frames, but the Gophers tallied seven shots on goal to UAA's
four.
UAA was held scoreless on the man advantage, while the
Gophers struck on one-of-four opportunities. Both teams were whistled for eight
minutes of penalties.
The Seawolves continue to trail Minnesota (18) in the conference standings
at No. 8 with 17 points. North Dakota sits at
No. 6 with 19 points, while Minnesota
is ninth with 13.
UAA embarks on two away series, first heading to St. Cloud State on Feb. 5-6 before facing MSU on
Feb. 19-20. The Seawolves won't return to the Sullivan Arena until Feb. 26 for
the first game of the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup.
