ANCHORAGE – Junior right wing Brad Duwe buried the game-winning goal with 1:44 remaining in overtime Friday to lift host Alaska Anchorage to a 3-2 victory over NCAA college hockey newcomer Arizona State in the Kendall Hockey Classic at Sullivan Arena.
In the season-opener for both clubs, the Seawolves got 21 stops from sophomore goaltender Olivier Mantha, plus goals from freshmen Mason Mitchell and Wyatt Ege.
Arizona State – playing its first-ever Div. I game after moving up from the club level – got goals from freshman Jack Roe and senior Liam Norris, while goalie Robert Levin made 37 saves.
Mitchell got the Seawolves on the board midway through the first when he poked home a rebound on the power play, with assists going to Duwe and freshman Sean MacTavish. That lead stood for more than 20 minutes until Roe answered with his program's historic first goal, tallying a man-advantage strike with 3:14 left in the second.
The Sun Devils grabbed the lead when Norris struck five minutes into the third period on assists from Eric Rivard and Jordan Masters.
It would be short-lived, however, as Seawolf defenseman Chase Van Allen coolly slipped a centering pass to Ege, who hesitated before flicking a wrister over Levin's shoulder at the 8:43 mark.
The Seawolves – whose 40 shots on goal were five more than their 2014-15 season-high – dominated play late in the third but could not break through. UAA kept the pressure on throughout the extra session and finally earned the victory when sophomore Matt Anholt threaded a perfect pass from behind the goal, finding the stick of Duwe, who beat Levin to the short side.
Duwe, a Soldotna native, earned the second multi-point game of his career as the Seawolves remained unbeaten (11-0-3) in season openers since a loss to Michigan State in 2000.
UAA also ran its Kendall Hockey Classic unbeaten streak to 11 games (8-0-3), including five straight victories, as it prepares for Saturday's 7:07 p.m. ADT finale against former league rival St. Cloud State. The Seawolves would win their tournament title for the second time in three years with a victory against the Huskies, while St. Cloud State would earn the championship gold pan with a win or a tie (due to goal differential).
Arizona State will face Alaska Fairbanks – a 3-0 loser earlier Friday against St. Cloud – in Saturday's early contest at 4:07 p.m. ADT.
