BEMIDJI, Minn. – Two power-play goals by freshman Matt Bailey gave the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves their first Western Collegiate
Hockey Association win of the season with a 5-4 score over the Bemidji State
Beavers on Friday night at the Sanford Center.
After the Beavers (1-5-1, 1-5-1 WCHA) scored two goals in
the first 42 seconds of the game, the Seawolves (2-5-2, 1-3-1 WCHA) knotted the
game twice before taking their first lead at 4-3. UAA then added some cushion for
a 5-3 lead, but the Beavers quickly responded for the 5-4 score.
BSU opened the scoring with just 27 seconds expired on the
clock with a tally by Sam Rendle followed closely by Matt Read's first of two
tallies at 42 seconds – both found the net on the Beaver's first two shots. But
UAA didn't waver, and sophomore forward Daniel Naslund tallied his first goal
of the season at 1:27, bringing the game within one at the end of the first.
Bailey, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, registered his first
man-advantage strike at 3:18 of the second stanza before Read gave the Beavers
a 3-2 lead at 8:57 with a highly-disputed goal. UAA would come back once again
with senior forward Sean Wiles' team-high-tying fourth goal of the season at
15:11.
The 3-3 tie would last 26 seconds into the third frame when
Bailey gave the Seawolves their first lead of the game on the power play.
Freshman forward Brett Cameron scored his second collegiate goal and the game-winner
at 15:20, giving UAA a two-goal advantage for 26 seconds before BSU's Radoslav
Illo recorded his first tally of the season at 15:46. The Beaver's pulled their netminder at 18:35, but UAA held them off for its first win since Oct. 9 (Air Force, 3-2).
Making his third consecutive start between the pipes for UAA
was freshman goaltender Rob Gunderson. Gunderson (2-3-1) made a career-high 30
saves with the win, while the Beaver's Dan Bakala had 18 stops throughout the
night. BSU outshot UAA, 34-23.
For the first time of the season, the Seawolves were successful
on two power-play opportunities, going 2-for-4, as the Beavers were 1-for-4.
Both teams were sent to the box on four occasions, serving eight minutes.
In addition to Bailey's two-goal game, Wiles (1-1—2) and
senior forwards Craig Parkinson (0-2—2) and Nick Haddad (0-2—2) each recorded a
multi-point game – first of the season for Parkinson and Haddad. Senior forward
Tommy Grant and freshman forward Jordan Kwas each were credited with a helper –
to date both have added at least one point in all but one game this season.
With the win, the Seawolves break a six-game winless streak
and are tied for 10th in the league with Bemidji State and Michigan Tech with
three points apiece.
Junior defenseman Brad Gorham was back in the lineup after
missing the last two games with an injury.
The Seawolves and the Beavers will rematch on Saturday
evening at 4:07 p.m. AST.
