ALASKA ANCHORAGE (1-7-0, 0-4-0 WCHA) at #12 PENN STATE (7-1-1, 0-0-0 Big Ten)
Nov. 11-12, 2016
3:07 p.m. AST at Pegula Ice Arena
MEDIA
Live Video/Audio/Stats: TBA
Live GCI TV: None
Social Media: Facebook – UAA.Athletics & Seawolf.Hockey
Twitter – @UAAHockey, #UAASeawolves
Instagram – UAA_Seawolves, SeawolfHockey
SnapChat – UAASeawolves
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS & EVENTS
Join the Seawolves' head coach Matt Thomas for 'Coaches Corner'– two, free events for all Seawolf Fans. Thomas will discuss the upcoming series and take questions prior to the start of the Friday night game in the Sullivan Arena. Join us Dec. 2 and Feb. 3 in the Northeast Lounge from 6:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
THIS WEEK: The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (1-7-0, 0-4-0 WCHA) will wrap up their non-conference slate, Nov. 11-12 at #12 Penn State … a year after Penn State visited Anchorage (Nov. 20-21, 2015), the Seawolves will take on the Nittany Lions at 3:07 p.m. AST both days.
THE SERIES – UAA vs. PENN STATE
OVERALL: PSU leads, 1-0-2 AT PSU: First meeting
LAST MEETING: Nov. 21, 2015 (Tied, 1-1) STREAK: N/A
NOTES: This will be the fourth and fifth all-time meetings between the teams ... last season, PSU won Nov. 20 (5-2), before the teams tied on Nov. 21 (1-1) … the teams also met at the Brice Alaska Goal Rush on Oct. 17, 2014, tying 3-3 … PSU leads all-time, 1-0-2 … this will be the teams' first matchup in State College, Pa. … scoring for UAA last season against the Nittany Lions were then-junior Dylan Hubbs, then-freshman Nicolas Erb-Ekholm and then-freshman Mason Mitchell.
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS: The No. 12 PSU (7-1-1) is enjoying a seven-game unbeaten streak and a five-game winning streak ... the Nittany Lions' only loss so far this season came against St. Lawrence on Oct. 7 (6-3) ... most recently, PSU swept Niagara (5-1, 5-1) on Nov. 3-4 and swept Canisius (4-1, 4-2) on Oct. 28-29 ... the Nittany Lions' record currently leads the Big Ten with a 83.3 winning percentage ...currently, Penn State is ranked No. 2 in the PairWise Rankings behind No.1 Minnesota Duluth ... PSU is in the midst of a 10-game home stand ... the Nittany Lions are led offensively by freshman F Denis Smirnov (5-10–15) – good for No. 3 nationally with 1.67 points per game ... between the pipes is freshman G Peyton Jones (.923 sv%, 1.95 gaa, 6-0-1) ... in his fourth season at PSU is Guy Gadowsky (67-69-11), former Alaska Fairbanks coach (1999-04).
SEAWOLF BITES: The Seawolves enter the weekend with a 1-7-0 record overall and 0-4-0 record in conference play ... UAA fell in its WCHA opening weekend at then-No. 20 ranked Bemidji State, 2-1 OT, 4-0, before being swept in its WCHA home opener against Alabama Huntsville (5-2, 3-2 OT) on Nov. 4-5 ... the Seawolves lone win this season was Oct. 15 vs. Canisius (1-0) ... in just eight games, UAA has been shut out twice – first came on Oct. 7 in the season opener vs. then-No. 13 Minnesota, then on Oct. 29 (4-0) at BSU ... additionally, UAA is struggling to find the back of the net, averaging one goal per game ... the Seawolves are allowing 3.38 goals per game ... UAA is sitting at 83.7% on the penalty kill, stopping 41 of 49 power plays, good for No. 4 it the WCHA overall stats … meanwhile, the Seawolves' man-advantage unit is 2-for-41 (4.9%).
PLAYER NOTES: Individually, the Seawolves are led by junior captain Matt Anholt and sophomore redshift Jonah Renouf – both with three points … Anholt and senior F Brad Duwe lead the Seawolves with two goals each … Duwe collected his second multi-goal game of his career on Nov. 4 with the two goals, after missing the first six games with an injury ... the Soldotna native's second strike came on the power play – UAA's second of the season … Duwe leads all active UAA skaters with 20 career goals … junior F Tad Kozun is second on UAA with 19 career goals … freshman F Aleksi Ainali leads UAA with three helpers this season, registering his first multi-point game on Nov. 4 … Ainali ranks tied for No. 20 for WCHA freshman scoring … meanwhile, sophomore Alex Jackstadt picked up his first collegiate assist on Nov. 5, helping on sophomore Nils Rygaard's shorthanded strike – UAA's first of the season ... UAA has 13 skaters with at least one point on the season … still looking for their first collegiate goal are rookies Ainali, Nolan Nicholas, Tomi Hiekkavirta, David Trinkberger and Corey Renwick and sophomores Eric Roberts and Nathan Renouf … dressing in seven games for UAA is junior G Olivier Mantha ... Mantha – a two-time UAA MVP – is 1-5-0, while sporting a .801 save percentage (6th in WCHA overall stats) and a 3.01 (7th) goals-against average ... Mantha's career save percentage of .908 still ranks No. 1 on the all-time UAA list, while his 2.90 gga ranks No. 3.
NEW ASSISTANT: Following former coach Josh Ciocco's departure for Brown, head coach Matt Thomas promoted former Seawolf Chris Kamal to assistant coach ... Kamal was in his second season as UAA's Strength & Conditioning coach ... additionally, UAA's new Director of Hockey Operations is Nick Walters of Anchorage.
NATIONAL POLLS: Leading the USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll is Minnesota Duluth for the second straight week ... Denver stays at No. 2, while Boston College takes over at No. 3 ... the WCHA has Minnesota State ranked at No. 11 and Bemidji State at No. 15, while Lake Superior State enters the top 20 at No. 20 ... UAA is currently 0-3-0 against ranked teams this season.
NEXT UP: UAA will return to WCHA play, Nov. 18-19, when they host Michigan Tech at the Sullivan Arena.
