ANCHORAGE – The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves produced their most lucrative weekend of the 2016-17 season, furnishing a four-point series vs. the Ferris State Bulldogs with a 2-2 overtime tie on Saturday in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game. UAA also won on Friday, 4-1.
The Seawolves (5-14-3, 4-9-3 WCHA) forced overtime in the third period, but couldn't find the game-winner in extra minutes, picking up their third tie of the season. The teams went scoreless in both overtimes, before the Bulldogs (7-13-3, 6-8-2 WCHA) won the second round of the sudden-death shootout. With the shootout win, FSU collected two points in the league standings, while UAA earned one.
Following the second intermission the Seawolves trailed, 2-1, until sophomore forward Jeremiah Luedtke registered his first of the season, tying the game with 5:42 to play on the power play. The tie held through the remaining minutes, sending the teams into a 5-on-5, 5-minute overtime.
In the first overtime, junior forward Brad Duwe drew a penalty with 1:59 to play, sending the Seawolves on the power play. During that span, the UAA won three faceoffs in Bulldogs zone and placed two shots on target, but couldn't break thought. Overall, UAA tallied a season-high six shots in the extra minutes.
For NCAA purposes, the game ended in a tie, but for the WCHA standings, the teams then skated 3-on-3 for five minutes. Once again both goaltenders kept their respective teams in the game, sending them to the shootout.
The Seawolves went first in the shootout with Luedtke making his attempt. Likewise, Gerald Mayhew scored on goaltender Olivier Mantha in the first round. Missing the net in the second round was sophomore Jonah Renouf, setting up Jason Tackett for the winner on Mantha.
The evening started when the Seawolves' captain Matt Anholt fed sophomore forward Mason Mitchell a backhander at 6:54 of the first. Mitchell capitalized on the pass and fired a wrister from the slot, scoring on just UAA's second shot of the evening. Junior defenseman Jarrett Brown assisted on the play and then again on Luedtke's tally in the third.
The second period featured two even-strength goals from the Bulldogs. Cameron Clarke collected his first collegiate goal at 5:58, before Corey Mackin gave FSU the lead at 16:13 – his eighth of the season and the Bulldog's first lead of the series.
Posting 26 saves in goal for UAA was Mantha (5-12-3), keeping his save percentage at .917 and dropping his goals-against average to 2.61. Kapelmaster made 22 saves. UAA was out shot, 28-24.
The Seawolves will spend the next two weekends on the road when they face Michigan Tech (Jan. 13-14) and Northern Michigan (Jan. 20-21), before entering a bye weekend. UAA won't return to the Sullivan Arena until Feb. 3-4 vs. Minnesota State.
Seawolf fans can head over to Westchester Lagoon, Jan. 29 from 1-3 p.m. for the annual Skate with the Seawolves.
