More than a third of the way through its NCAA Division I independent schedule, the UAA hockey team manages to check a lot of boxes one wants from a legit competitor.

Take this weekend’s home series versus Lake Superior State of the CCHA. On Saturday, Seawolves freshman Ryan Johnson scored in the latter stages of the third period to help salvage a 4-4 tie with the Lakers at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex.

In Sunday’s early evening special teams-a-thon between the teams, senior Porter Schachle of Wasilla breezed in for a short-handed goal at 4 minutes, 19 seconds of the third to offer a dash of green, gold and white hope to the proceedings. The Lakers spoiled the fun with their second power-play goal five minutes later and skated off with a 4-2 victory.

Johnson (Calgary) finished the weekend with three goals and junior Conor Cole (St. John’s, Newfoundland) added four points, including an assist in Sunday’s loss.

With its 2-9-1 record thus far against a sampling of some of the nation’s best teams, UAA isn’t seeking out pity or making excuses. Although, you could hardly blame the Seawolves for wondering why, three seasons into their well-documented resurrection, the state legislature is fine with them playing at the sport’s highest level in a practice facility better suited for intramurals.

An announced crowd of 666 watched Sunday’s game at the AASC, mostly filling up the joint.

“Being an independent (team) and us as individuals, if we do well, we’re more likely to move on and move forward to the next level (of hockey),” said UAA senior assistant captain Max Helgeson of Anchorage. “The better you can do, the better the opportunity to advance.”

Saturday’s third-period rally for the tie and Sunday’s shorty almost out of nowhere don’t make up for the less than stellar record. But they should count for something, entertaining if nothing else.

“Moments like that are important,” Helgeson said. “But as we’ve obviously seen in the past, the more you win games, the more fans and more support you’ll have. We always want to put on a good show and keep them coming back.”

Last year, Helgeson tied for the team-high in goals with 14 and finished with 27 points in 33 games. Sunday’s assist on Schachle’s third-period score was only Helgeson’s second point – both assists – of the season. He’s not gripping the stick too tight despite being disappointed in his offensive output.

“I’m supposed to be scoring goals and helping this team win,” he said. “But I’m not doing that. It’s hard, right? Because I haven’t been able to find that ‘A’ game.”

Upcoming Road Trip
Nov. 29 Wisconsin
Nov. 30 Wisconsin
Dec. 4 Stonehill
Dec. 6 Merrimack
Dec. 7 Merrimack

UAA freshman goaltender Tyler Krivtsov (Santa Clarita, Calif.) turned in an uneven showing with 14 saves in his second start and third appearance of the season. Sophomore Greg Orosz (Gyar, Hungary) had played well more than 90% of the minutes for UAA before Sunday. Freshman goalie Bryant Marks of Wasilla has yet to make his Seawolves debut.

Krivtsov played in 69 North American Hockey League regular-season games for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs the last two seasons and won 20 games for the junior outfit last year. His last appearance in Anchorage proper came back on March 30 when he made 30 saves in a 2-1 victory over the Anchorage Wolverines at Ben Boeke Arena.

Helgeson said Krivtsov has acclimated himself well with UAA and was up to Sunday’s challenge.

“Krivy is mature and handles himself very well,” Helgeson said. “He practices hard every day and is competing, and we’ve seen him grow a lot since he’s been here.”

ONE-TIMERS

• LSSU senior Timo Bakos (Augsburg, Germany) scored twice and added an assist in Sunday’s win. He helped set up John Herrington’s (Hudson’s Hope, B.C.) power-play back-breaker at 9:30 of the third. Rorke Applebee (Chateauguay, Quebec) earned the goaltending victory with 17 saves. For their efforts, the Lakers (5-6-1) jetted off to Minneapolis around 9 p.m. Sunday and were then to embark on the 540-mile bus ride to Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Good times.
• From the “More Holiday Travel” department, UAA will leave for Madison, Wisc., on Tuesday morning for a weekend series with the Badgers of the Big 10 Conference. Those two games will be the first of five on the road for the Seawolves, who are scheduled to return to the AASC for a meeting with Augustana (S.D.) of the CCHA on Dec. 12.
• UAA’s two games versus UAF (Nov. 15-16) were the first two against a fellow DI independent. Of the Seawolves’ 22 remaining games, only nine are versus independents – four more go-arounds with the Nanooks, two with Long Island (N.Y.), two with Lindenwood (Mo.) and one with Stonehill (Mass.). Coach Matt Shasby should be proud of the robust schedule he built for his squad.
• Sunday’s Seawolves game was one of only three DI contests played in the nation. Anchorage’s Colin Kessler and his Vermont teammates scored a 3-2 upset of No. 20 UMass in Amhert, Mass. Kessler registered two shots on goal and won six of 15 faceoffs in the victory. American International (AIC) also downed Niagara, 5-2. UAA visits Niagara for a two-game series, Jan. 10-11.
• Members of the NAHL’s Anchorage Wolverines and Kenai River Brown Bears were in attendance Sunday. The Brown Bears had been idle and play this weekend in Fairbanks. Up in the Golden Heart City, the Ice Dogs swept Anchorage in two games at Big Dipper Ice Arena, winning 4-0 on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday. The Wolverines said goodbye in a big way to their five-game winning streak and next play at Wisconsin on Dec. 6.
• Sunday’s lineup sheets from LSSU and UAA featured a combined 19 players who last played in the NAHL Tier II Junior A circuit before advancing to the DI ranks. Thirteen active Seawolves graduated from NAHL franchises before joining the college program.

LSSU 2 1 4 – 4
UAA 1 0 1 – 2
First Period – 1, LSSU, Bakos 5 (Milburn), 3:58; 2, LSSU, Teleguine 4 (unassisted), 9:40; 3, UAA, Ry. Johnson 4 (McNarland, Cole), 13:03 (pp). Penalties – McNarland, UAA (slashing), 5:28; Batchelder, LSSU (high-sticking), 12:06; Teleguine, LSSU (tripping), 12:46.
Second Period – 4, LSSU, Bakos 6 (Schweitzer, Tritt), 7:47 (pp). Penalties – Helgeson, UAA (roughing), 5:46; Warrener, UAA (roughing), 7:32; Schweitzer, LSSU, major-game misconduct (contact to head, served by Piku), 8:17.
Third Period – 5, UAA, Schachle 4 (Helgeson, Funtek), 4:19 (sh); 6, LSSU, Herrington 1 (Bushy, Bakos), 9:30 (pp). Penalties – Brown, LSSU (roughing), 3:56; White, UAA (roughing), 3:56; Anderson, UAA (holding), 3:56; Gagnon, UAA (slashing), 7:32; Tritt, LSSU (slashing), 7:58; Finley, UAA (high-sticking), 8:29.
Shots on goal – LSSU 8-6-4—18. UAA 7-6-6—19.
Power-play Opportunities – LSSU 2 of 9. UAA 1 of 3.
Goalies – LSSU, Applebee, 5-4-1 (19 shots-17 saves). UAA, Krivtsov, 0-2-0 (18-14).
A – 666 (800). T – 2:33.
Referee – Nicholas Bradshaw, Tyler Olson. Linesmen – Chad Colliander, Chris Cushman.