Hockey nets 3-1 win at Ohio State
November 13, 2012
Jamie Foland
474-6807
Three Nanooks scored three unanswered goals in the final 21 minutes of the game to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 3-1 in their Central Collegiate Hockey Association encounter on Saturday night at Value City Arena.
The Nanooks got goals from junior left wing Colton Beck, senior left wing Jarret Granberg and senior center and team captain Adam Henderson to earn three key points in the league standings, giving them four-out-of six up for grabs on the weekend.
Freshman goalie John Keeney made 32 saves, including 17 in the opening frame, for his first career win to elevate the Nanooks to 5-3-2 overall and 3-2-1-0: good for 10 points and second place in the CCHA.
After scoring their only goal of the game in a 5-on-3 situation Friday night, the Nanooks had the tables turned late in the first period when back-to-back penalties were whistled against junior center Cody Kunyk at 18:05 and sophomore defenseman Trevor Campbell at 18:16 setting their hosts up for the two-man advantage. The Buckeyes cashed in 61 seconds into their 5-on-3 power play, when Chris Crane beat Keeney off passes from Tanner Fritz and Ryan Dzingel to make it 1-0 for OSU.
The Nanooks had four chances in the second period, including their own two-man advantage when Buckeye Matt Johnson assessed a five-minute major for checking from behind and a game misconduct at 12:03, joining his teammate Max McCormick in the sin bin. Despite almost six minutes of power play opportunity, Alaska cold not beat OSU goalie Collin Olson with any of their eight shots in that span.
Momentum was on the visitors side after that and they rode it into the very next chance, when Beck tied the game at 18:42 as Buckeye Brandon Martell sat in the penalty box. The Nanooks outshot OSU 18-6 in the middle frame and evened the score heading into the second intermission.
Alaska got big efforts down the stretch from its senior class as Granberg scored the game-winner at 7:39 and Henderson got a short-handed insurance goal at 18:42 to secure the road victory.
Ohio State finished the game 1-for-5 on the power-play with 10 shots, while Alaska went 1-for-7 and registered 14 shots.
The Blue and Gold return to Fairbanks to play host to the Western Michigan Broncos next Friday and Saturday at the Carlson Center at 7:35 p.m.
Both games are a part of the Nanooks' Military Appreciation Initiative, which includes special recognitions for military members and their families, discounted admission to the weekend series and special pre and postgame events with opportunities to meet and interacti with the team and coaches.