Clair DeGeorge
OK, what Clair DeGeorge of Anchorage is accomplishing lately is just ridiculous.
The fifth-year senior center at Ohio State delivered a five-point weekend, which came on the heels of a seven-point weekend, which came on the heels of a four-point weekend, which came on the heels of a four-point weekend. DeGeorge furnished an assist in Friday’s 5-2 win over St. Lawrence in the D1 DC Tournament in Arlington, Va., then cranked it up several notches to have a hand in all four goals – one goal, three helpers – of Saturday’s 4-2 tournament-seizing win over Penn State.
To recap, that gives DeGeorge 6-14—20 totals in her current eight-game points streak. She has delivered multiple-point games in six of those eight matches. In 16 games for the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes, DeGeorge owns 9-17—26 totals that rank her tied for fourth in the nation in assists and rank her 10th in the nation in points.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but DeGeorge’s 26 points surpass her previous career high of 23 in 37 games as a freshman at Bemidji State. Her nine goals tie her career high from her sophomore season at Bemidji, when she played 36 games. And her 17 assists are a career high, one more than the 16 she had in those 37 games as a freshman.
With 105 career points in college, DeGeorge ranks No. 4 all-time among Alaskans. And the way she is streaking, No. 3 Kerry Weiland (124 points, Wisconsin 1999-2003) suddenly looks catchable.
DeGeorge on Friday against Penn State was part of an Alaskan vs. Alaskan narrative. Wasilla’s Mikayla Lantto is a junior forward for Penn State.
Mikayla Lantto
Tanner Edwards
Zach Krajnik
In other college action over the weekend, freshman Tanner Edwards of Anchorage, playing just his second game for No. 1-ranked Minnesota State-Mankato, racked a goal in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Lake Superior State. One of the assists on his goal came from freshman Zach Krajnik of Eagle River. Edward also in that game took a major penalty and game misconduct for contact to the head. (Weird note from the series: Lake Superior, coached by former UAA assistant Damon Whitten, managed just five shots on goal Saturday after mustering just 10 in Friday’s 1-0 win over Mankato. So, 15 shots in two games and still bagged a series split. We rate that as unusual.)
Bret Link
Camron VanSickle
Moving to the USHL, a junior circuit that funnels a slew of players to college programs, a couple of Fairbanks boys flourished over the weekend.
Bret Link of the Fargo Force delivered a goal in Friday’s 5-2 loss to the visiting Tri-City Storm, then came up clutch Saturday in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Storm. Link authored the game-tying, short-handed strike with just 1 minute, 41 seconds left in regulation, then produced the primary assist on the OT winner to wrap is three-point night. Link, 19, owns 6-6—12 totals in 18 games. He’s committed to Colorado College.
Meanwhile, Camron VanSickle of Fairbanks rocked two goals for the Green Bay Gamblers in Friday’s 5-2 win over visiting Team USA. VanSickle, 17, owns 2-2—4 totals in nine games. He is committed to Denver. Denver and Colorado College are rivals who each season play for the Gold Pan, the symbol of Rocky Mountain supremacy. That traveling trophy was established in the 1993-94 season by then-Denver coach and current Air Force coach Frank Serratore, and then-CC coach Don Lucia. Lucia is the former UAF bench boss and UAA assistant coach, and current CCHA commissioner, who spends time in Alaska at the place he and wife Joyce, a Fairbanks native, have on the Peninsula.