Hockey opens 2013 against Wolverines at Yost

January 14, 2013

Jamie Foland
474-6807

The Alaska Nanooks resume the second half of their schedule and Central Collegiate Hockey Association play on the road this weekend when they take on the Michigan Wolverines for a two-game series at Yost Ice Arena. The teams faceoff at 3:35 p.m. AKST (7:35 p.m. EST) Friday and Saturday nights, with the later being aired live on Fox Sports Detroit Plus and tape delayed on KFXF Fox 7 in Fairbanks.

Here are the need to know notes about the Michigan series and Alaska Hockey:

Alaska and Michigan meet for the 54th and 55th all-time meetings this weekend in Ann Arbor. The Nanooks trail in the series between the teams, which stands at 10-42-1 overall, including their 3-22-1 record at Yost. The Wolverines have the slim edge in the neutral site encounters, 2-1, with Alaska's lone win in those meetings coming transpiring in Anchorage on Oct. 9, 2009. The Nanooks shutout the Wolverines 2-0 for the first time ever in the opening game of Alaska Anchorage's home tournament, the Kendall Hockey Classic. The Nanooks are 3-6-1 against U-M in the last ten meetings but 1-8-1 in the last ten played at Yost. They also have the same record in the last 10 January meetings.

Since head coach Dallas Ferguson took over the program in 2008-09, Alaska is 4-7-1 against the Wolverines and 4-3 when facing them in the state of Alaska. Two of those four wins have come via shutout, the only two for the Nanooks in the all-time series, and the other two were 4-1 decisions, giving the Blue and Gold a 13-2 goal advantage in those contests.

In his career as a coach for the Nanooks (nine seasons), Ferguson has been a part of six of the 10 program wins against U-M, including just their third win ever at Yost on Jan. 7, 2006 back when he was an assistant coach under Tavis MacMillan.

All 10 of Alaska's wins against U-M have been by two goals or more. The Wolverines have won all seven contests decided by a single goal in the all-time series, with the most recent being a 1-0 overtime decision in Fairbanks on Dec. 3, 2011. It marked the first time a game was decided in the extra session and just the second time the teams made it to overtime. The first and only tie in the all-time series was a 3-3 stalemate at Yost on Jan. 16, 2010. The Nanooks won the deciding shootout, 1-0 (3 rounds), to earn the extra point.

Senior Steve Thompson is the lone Nanook whose seen time between the pipes against the Wolverines. One of two games played his rookie season was at Yost on Jan. 15, 2010, when he relieved Scott Greenham after the starter allowed three goals in the first period. Thompson went on to make 19 saves in the final 40 minutes of action but the Nanooks were shutout 6-0.

Junior Cody Kunyk leads all Nanooks offensively against U-M with three goals and an assist. A pair of senior forwards have tallied three points in games against the Wolverines Andy Taranto (1-2—3) and Nik Yaremchuk (0-3—3).

The Nanooks have added a right-handed rookie defenseman to their roster for the second half of the season. Cave Creek, Arizona native Richard Coyne will don the number five for the Nanooks on the blueline for the remainder of the year.

GAME CENTRAL

Date: Fri., Jan. 11/Sat., Jan. 12 |  Time: 3:35 p.m. AKST/ 3:35 p.m. AKST (7:35 p.m. EST)
Venue: Yost Ice Arena |  Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.

Live Stats: Ccha.com |  Live Audio: KCBF 820 Sports
Live Video: None | Radio: 820 AM Fairbanks
Live Television: Saturday (only): Fox Sports Detroit Plus
KFXF Fox 7 (Tape delayed after NFL)/Replay: Sunday, Jan. 13 at 12:30 p.m. AKST

CCHA Weekly Release   |   Alaska Release   |   Michigan Release  | Alaska Video Preview