Mac Swanson
Anchorage forward Mac Swanson, who last season delivered an All-Rookie campaign for the USHL’s Fargo Force, has picked up where he left off.
Swanson, who is ticketed for North Dakota, furnished an assist and four shots on goal Saturday night in Fargo’s home opener, a 3-0 victory over Omaha. That gives Swanson three helpers in three games this season after racking 12-43—55 totals in 57 games last season.
Swanson spent last season skating at wing, but with a season of experience under his belt, he’s playing center, his natural position.
Fargo’s other second-year Alaskan, defenseman Camden Shasby of Anchorage, also generated an assist Saturday to give him two assists in three games. He went 1-7—8 in 41 games last season. Shasby is committed to Western Michigan.
Elsewhere in the USHL, USA Hockey National Team Development Program forward Landon Hafele of Fairbanks, who turned 16 less than a month ago, copped his first goal in the league in Friday’s 6-2 loss to Green Bay. Hafele played last season in the Dallas Stars Elite Program. Meanwhile Green Bay defenseman Garin Ludwig of Eagle River earned his first USHL point with an assist in Friday’s game.
In the NAHL, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs pocketed their fourth straight win with Friday’s 4-3 victory at Janesville before falling 3-1 at Chippewa on Saturday. The Ice Dogs are 4-5-1.
Meanwhile, the Kenai River Brown Bears (5-4-0), coming off a road sweep at Springfield, endured a hellish road weekend against the Wisconsin Windigo, getting routed 9-2 Friday and 10-3 Saturday. Wisconsin’s Will Schumacher tuned them up for a hat trick Friday and followed with a four-goal barrage Saturday, rifling home those seven goals on just 11 shots.
Elsewhere in the NAHL, defenseman Drew Mackie of Anchorage, has four assists in eight games for the Aberdeen Wings. Mackie, who is coming off four years at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, is committed to Notre Dame.
Defenseman Luke Helgeson of Anchorage has two goals in seven games for the expansion Colorado Grit of the NAHL. He played last season for the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Saturday, goaltender Florian Wade of Anchorage stopped 19 shots to backstop the Rochester Jr. Americans to a 5-2 win at New Jersey. Wade played a couple of seasons at Shattuck and a couple more for Rochester-based Bishop Kearney. His travels have also taken him to Aberdeen, S.D., and Nashville.