Hunter Strand
Anchorage’s Hunter Strand is settling in just fine as a freshman for No. 14-ranked Notre Dame, which will surely be moving up the rankings after a weekend road sweep of No. 1 Michigan with a pair of overtime wins.
Strand, who is centering the fourth line, on Friday scored a goal in a 3-2 win to give him goals in back-to-back games for the first time in his young career. Strand’s strike five minutes into the third period kick-started the Fighting Irish comeback from a 2-0 deficit. He was plus-1 with two shots. In Saturday’s 5-4 win, he was minus-2 with two shots. In 13 games, Strand has produced 4-1—5 totals and a plus-3 rating.
Meanwhile, Strand’s teammate Zach Plucinski of Eagle River is a first-pairing defenseman for Notre Dame. In 10 games, the sophomore has contributed two assists and a plus-2 rating.
In other men’s college hockey news, Anchorage’s Daniel Haider on Saturday played his 100th game for Army. Haider, a senior, furnished an assist and four shots on goal in a 4-1 win at Niagara to give him 1-3—4 totals in 11 games this season. In 100 career games, he owns 15-20—35 totals.
Tough weekend for St. Cloud State senior center Nolan Walker of Anchorage. Walker received a game misconduct less than five minutes into Friday 6-2 loss at Western Michigan after he was busted for a major high-sticking penalty. Walker went minus-2 in Saturday’s 4-0 loss. Still, he is tied for fourth on the Huskies in goals with 5-3—8 totals in 14 games. Walker in 111 career games is 25-46—71.
Daniel Haider
Isaiah Saville
Lastly, Omaha junior goaltender Isaiah Saville of Anchorage missed out on a homecoming of sorts. Saville’s lower-body injury prevented him from making the trip to Fairbanks, where the Mavericks swept a nonconference series from UAF. Saville did enjoy a true homecoming as a freshman two years ago when he backstopped the Mavericks to a victory and tie at UAA. Saville this season is 7-3-0 with a 2.06 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and two shutouts.