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HOCKEY

No. 9 Colorado College secures weekend sweep of UAA (Swanson bags first goal for UND)

by | Oct 27, 2024 | Cover Story, Hockey

CC’s Bret Link of Anchorage splits the defense. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report

Homecoming weekend for Anchorage’s Bret Link morphed into Colorado College teammate Kaidan Mbereko’s days of dominance.

A junior goaltender from Aspen, Colo., Mbereko spun an 18-save shutout Saturday night to lead No. 9 CC to a 2-0 win over UAA at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex. Mbereko stopped 28 Seawolves shots in Friday’s 2-1 as the unbeaten Tigers departed Alaska with a two-game series sweep.

Despite its commendable effort versus a ranked opponent for six periods, UAA dropped to 1-7-0. Coach Matt Shasby and his squad now have ample time to figure out their next move. The Seawolves are off until a Nov. 15 home matchup against rival UAF in the first game of the annual Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup series. The Nanooks didn’t play over the weekend.

Link is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound sophomore forward for CC and the son of former Dimond High and Anchorage Aces skater Tony Link. He previously played for the USHL’s Fargo Force and NAHL’s Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Bret Link recorded one shot in Friday’s win. Saturday, he opened the scoring at 7 minutes, 13 seconds of the first period. He collected Gleb Veremyev’s pass and surged down the right wing before snapping a shot past UAA goalie Greg Orosz (21 saves).

The goal was Link’s second of the season. Latvian sophomore Klavs Veinbergs notched CC’s other goal in the third period. The Tigers improved to 4-0-0.

UAA sophomore defenseman Joey Potter (Cranberry Township, Pa.) led the Seawolves with four shots on goal Saturday. He also assisted on the weekend’s lone goal, a late strike from Anchorage’s own Tanner Edwards on Friday. The score was Edwards’ first as a Seawolf and second collegiate score.

Mac Swanson celebrates his first college goal. Photo by Russell Hons.

FIRST COLLEGIATE GOAL FINDS SWANSON

After owning the USHL last season as a member of the Fargo (N.D.) Force, Anchorage’s Mac Swanson moved north to Grand Forks for his freshman season with the North Dakota hockey team. Friday night, he scored his first collegiate goal in the No. 7 Fighting Hawks’ 7-2 home win over No. 3 Boston University.

Swanson scored his team’s second goal at 6:22 of the first period on the power play. He also grabbed his first collegiate assist later in the game. The Terriers won Saturday’s series closer, 4-3.

The son of former NHLer and Alaska Aces’ Kelly Cup champ Brian Swanson, Mac last season was named USA Hockey’s Junior Player of the Year and the USHL’s Player of the Year. He was selected in the seventh round of this year’s NHL draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

North Dakota will take a 3-2-0 record into its next game Friday at Cornell.

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Alaska Airlines | Nicole Johnston | Richard Mize | Advanced Diagnostics, INC | Aktive Soles | Alaska Oil and Gas Association | Aspen Endodontics | Black-Smith, Bethard & Carlson, LLC. | BOSCO's | Coho Financial Group | Continental Auto Group | Don Clary & Judy Besh | Glen Bailey | Invisalign-Ben Ward | JL Properties | Joey Caterinichio & Ja Dorris| Kathleen Navarre | Midas Alaska | Moose's Tooth, Bear Tooth and Broken Tooth Brewing | Perkins Coie - Sarah & A.J. Schirack | R&M Consultants, Inc. | Dave & DeAnne Rand | RE/MAX Dynamic Properties Kevin Taylor | Scott Taylor |Residential Mortgage | Seth Wickersham & Alison Overholt | Taylored Restoration | Korndrop Family Foundation | Arctic Slope Regional Corporation | Replacement Glass | Zareena and Allen Clendaniel | Foley & Pearson | UAA Seawolves | Tony and Carla Slaton Barker | Sportclips Haircuts | Alliance for Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska | Alice & Gunnar Knapp | Amy and Jason Miller | Burgerfi | Charles Fedullo | Dan Rufner | Darren Lieb | In Honor of James Libby | Seawolf 5th Line | Deb Essex | Don Winchester | Donley Family | Dr. Justin Libby, DDS | Firetap | Harlow Robinson | Jason & Shannon Metrokin | Jim & Michelle Hajdukovich | Joe Alston | Kathie Bethard | Krispy Kreme | Kristopher Knauss | Loren Kroon | Mark and Jamie Johnson | Mark Silverman | On the Border | Pete Robinson | Rick Mystrom | Team Heat | Team Moriarty | The Conway Family | Todd Whited | Moria Smith | In memory of Drs. John & Elizabeth Tower | Peter Pounds | Pete Robinson | Skinny Raven | Multisport Training of Alaska/Lisa Keller | RSA Engineering

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