Anchorage’s Raythan Robbins follows the puck during a 2022 game with the Anchorage Wolverines. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
Prior to boarding a plane Wednesday for a work trip home, Raythan Robbins participated in his hockey team’s weekly press conference.
He stated how strange it will be on the away side of things. Seconds later, the Anchorage-born goaltender tried to pinpoint the number of friends and family who will witness the NCAA Division I season-opening series between Bemidji (Minn.) State and UAA.
“I wish I could tell you,” said Robbins, 23. “It’s a long list, but I know there will be a lot.”
More than three years removed from backstopping the North American (Junior) Hockey League’s Anchorage Wolverines to an improbable playoff run in their inaugural season, Robbins return to town to begin his junior season at Bemidji State. The Beavers and UAA play Friday and Saturday night inside the Avis Alaska Sports Complex, and questions abound.
First, let’s take the Seawolves.
Head coach Matt Shasby begins his fourth season since the program’s resurrection with some goaltending stability and a stable of returners with a flair for offensive creativity. Junior goalie Greg Orosz logged the most minutes in net during the team’s 6-23-5 go of it last season, making 30 or more saves on five occasions. Sophomores Tyler Krivtsov and Bryant Marks had their moments. A Wasilla product, Marks sparkled in his first collegiate start, producing 22 saves in a 1-0 shutout win over Lindenwood (Mo.) back in February.
Now UAA sophomores, returners Dylan Contreras, Ryan Johnson and Dimitry Kebreau all tend to make something happen during nearly every shift. Johnson paced the Seawolves last season with 11 goals and 25 points. He tallied four points in last week’s 15-0 exhibition throttling of Canadian university Briercrest. Ten UAA skaters picked up multiple points.
Ryan Johnson is one of the key returners back for the Seawolves. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
But DI hockey these days means players come and go, almost at a dizzying. UAA enters the season with 12 new players, including six transfers and six freshmen. Among the Seawolves’ newcomers are Anchorage’s Luke Helgeson, Bryce Monrean and Camden Shasby. Monrean and Shasby, son of coach Matt, played meaningful minutes for the Wolverines not too long ago.
Best of luck trying to determine how UAA will fare when the real games start.
Oh, about starts, when speaking with the Alaska Sports Report earlier in the week, Robbins didn’t yet know if he’d get the call between the pipes for Friday’s series opener. Of BSU’s three rostered goalies, he is the only one with college experience.
In two seasons, Robbins has appeared in seven games, posted a 1-1-0 record, 3.50 goals-against average and .846 save percentage. He was named the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s (CCHA) goaltender of the week on Oct. 7, 2024, after stopping 11 shots in BSU’s 4-3 overtime victory over Minnesota-Duluth.
NCAA HOCKEY
Bemidji State (0-0-0) at UAA (0-0-0)
At Homan Rink, Avis Alaska Sports Complex
Friday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 4, 5 p.m.
• BSU leads all-time series, 18-3-5
• UAA is 2-1-0 in season openers during head coach Matt Shasby’s first three seasons with wins over UMass Lowell and Western Michigan
• First meeting between the Beavers and Seawolves since a 2-2 tie on Feb. 22, 2020, in Anchorage
After concluding his time with the Wolverines, Robbins first attended DI Nebraska-Omaha before returning to the junior ranks with United States Hockey League Muskegon (Mich.). It’s easy to hear the maturity in his voice and know he’s grown up quite a bit these last few years.
“It’s such a long process,” he said. “When you’re in junior hockey, you might have some good years. But once you get to college, it’s such a big adjustment that a lot of people don’t really see. These last two seasons, I’ve learned so much and found myself getting so much more comfortable.”
Robbins spent a portion of his summer in Anchorage, meaning he practiced often with a lot of the Seawolves he’s likely to see out on the Homan Rink ice this weekend.
“First games for us both,” Robbins said. “I expect UAA to be good and know it’ll be a battle like every game in college hockey.
“It’s going to be a fun weekend, for sure.”
GOING TO THE NAHL NET
Through the early portion of the NAHL season, the Kenai River Brown Bears (4-3-0) have had the best of it among the three Alaska-based Junior A squads.
Kenai River’s eight Midwest-Division points are good for a second-place tie with Janesville (Wisc.) The Brown Bears are also the first Last Frontier squad to host home games as the Minnesota Wilderness make their way to the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex for games Friday and Saturday.
Kenai River isn’t scheduled to leave the state until December.
The Anchorage Wolverines (2-2-1, five points) and Fairbanks Ice Dogs (2-3-0, four points) still have some road work to do before returning to the 49th state. The Wolverines play this weekend at Janesville before welcoming Minnesota to Sullivan Arena for the Oct. 9 home opener.
Fairbanks skates at Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday. The Ice Dogs start the home schedule Oct. 10 against Springfield (Ill.).
Like Kenai River, Anchorage and Fairbanks, once the team’s get back to Alaska, will compete in state for nearly two months.
