GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Alaska Anchorage received a goal by freshman forward Matt Bailey, but it wasn't the Seawolves' night as the No. 5-ranked North Dakota Fighting Sioux won, 6-1 in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game at the Ralph Engelstad Arena on Friday evening.
Following the game, the Seawolves (10-14-3, 9-12-2 WCHA) stay in a two-way tie for No. 6 in the league with Colorado College, while North Dakota (20-8-2, 15-6-0 WCHA) advances to No. 2 with the win and trails first-place Denver by one point.
The Fighting Sioux took a commanding 3-0 lead in the first 11 minutes of play, including back-to-back goals, just 17 seconds apart from another. Opening up the scoring for UND at 5:54 was Matt Frattin with his team-leading 22nd goal of the season following a face off.
Jake Marto gave the Fighting Sioux a two-goal lead at 6:11 with a back-door strike and the eventual game winner, before Mario Lamoureux redirected a shot at 10:52 for the 3-0 score going into the first intermission.
At the start of the second, the Seawolves executed a 3-on-2 rush, but couldn't break UND's netminder Aaron Dell's wall. Instead, the Fighting Sioux gained control and converted in the Seawolf zone at 3:50 with a goal by Jason Gregoire. Corban Knight then made it a five-goal deficit at 14:04 to end the stanza.
Bailey, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, ended the shutout at 2:49 of the third frame after picking up his own rebound, but the momentum ended as quickly as it was established with a tally by Evan Trupp, 26 seconds later. Sophomore forward Mitch Bruijsten was credited with the helper on Bailey's goal, giving him a career-high five-game point streak.
Both teams were held scoreless on the man advantage with UAA missing out on four opportunities and UND going 0-for-3. The Seawolves have kept opponents scoreless on the power play in seven of the last 10 games and have only allowed three PPG in that span.
The Sioux outshot the Seawolves, 35-22 and held a 29-21 advantage in faceoffs.
Bailey's nine goals this season are the most for a UAA freshman since Paul Crowder and Josh Lunden netted 11 in 2006-07. The rookie is currently tied for No. 19 on the all-time UAA freshman list with Charlie Kronschnabel (2003-04) and Tim Molle (1981-82).
Freshman forward Jordan Kwas missed his first game of the season tonight with an illness, while classmate Justin Kirchhevel dressed in his fifth collegiate game and for the first time since Dec. 11 against Denver.
The Seawolves and Fighting Sioux will face off in the final regular-season meeting between the teams at 4:07 p.m. AST on Saturday.
