Nanooks blank No. 1 RedHawks, 3-0

Submitted by Jamie Schanback
Phone: 907-474-6807
12/10/07

The last time the Alaska Nanooks visited Miami University, they earned a split of a two-game series and knocked the RedHawks from the top spot in the national polls.

The Nanooks might have done it again. Buoyed by a pair of power-play goals and the outstanding play of goaltender Wylie Rogers, Alaska stunned No. 1 Miami 3-0 Saturday night at Steve Cady Arena.

Toyota Player of the Game and the Perani Cup First Star, Rogers made 32 saves, and the Nanooks’ defense clogged the shooting lanes all night long to send Miami (14-2-0, 10-2-0 Central College Hockey Association) to its first shutout loss at home in three seasons (4-0 loss to Michigan State on Jan. 7, 2005). It was also Alaska’s first shutout since October 13, 2006, when they stonewalled Air Force 3-0.

"Goaltending was a big part of this game," Miami coach Enrico Blasi said. "Wylie Rogers played great tonight. I thought we played well, but we just couldn’t get pucks through. Give them credit. They did a really good job and deserved to win."

Alaska, which knocked Miami from the No. 1 ranking with a 4-3 win in Oxford on Feb. 3, 2006, got power-play goals from junior defenseman Tyler Eckford (his second such goal of the weekend) and freshman winger Nathan Lawrence and an empty-netter from senior right wing Ryan Muspratt to improve to 2-9-1, 2-7-1 CCHA.

"It’s good to see our guys rewarded for their efforts," first-year Alaska coach Doc DelCastillo said. "Wylie came up with some really big saves, especially early in the game. To be ahead 1-0 after the first period was really a tribute to him."

Miami dominated play in the opening 20 minutes, outshooting Alaska 10-4, but Eckford’s (5-on-3) power-play goal was the period’s only score. It was a sign of things to come for Miami, which struggled to get many point-blank chances, had 19 shots blocked and finished 0-of-7 on the power play.

"It was definitely a frustrating game for us," Miami senior defenseman Mitch Ganzak said. "They capitalized on their opportunities. We had (seven) power-play chances."

Lawrence made it 2-0 with 6:26 left, when he stole a pass from a RedHawk defenseman just outside their zone only moments after successfully killing the bulk of Alaska’s second 5-on-3 power-play opportunity of the game. Muspratt’s back-hander into the empty net came with 1:09 left to seal the deal for the Blue and Gold and send the RedHawk fans to the exits.

The Nanooks finished the night 2-of-7 on the power play and 3-of-11 on the weekend.

Alaska returns to Fairbanks next weekend to host Ohio State for a two-game CCHA series at the Carlson Center. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. Friday night.