Angelina Ruiz, Grace Canterbury and Kaylee Merrill combined for an Alaska hat trick after each player from The Last Frontier bagged a goal in the same women’s college hockey game between Saint Michael’s and Potsdam.
Ruiz and Canterbury found the back of the net for Saint Michael’s in a 6-2 win over Potsdam, which got another goal from leading scorer Merrill.
Three goals by three Alaskans in about 25 minutes.
1 College scoresheet, 4,000 miles from home, 3 Alaskan grown… priceless pic.twitter.com/zYufKDgRYG
— akselects (@akselects2001) November 29, 2021
Ruiz, a freshman forward, scored her third goal of the season to extend her three-game points streak. Her scoring totals are 3-1-4 in 11 games.
Ruiz grew up in Alaska and played for the Mighty Moose U12 and U14 teams before leaving the state and attending high school in Minnesota.
Canterbury is a freshman forward from Eagle River. She too grew up in Alaska but attended high school in Minnesota, where she played for the famed Shattuck-Saint Mary’s School.
This was her first college goal and increased her season totals to 1-3-4 in 11 games.
How many @SMC_WIH highlights can we fit into one minute? Let's try 6️⃣ goals by 5️⃣ players and 2️⃣ stellar Leah White '24 saves!@NEWHAonline @USCHO @NCAAIceHockey #smcpks pic.twitter.com/ecdQK1aYBn
— SMC Purple Knights (@smcathletics) November 28, 2021
Merrill, of Wasilla High fame, is a junior forward for Potsdam. She is by far the team’s most effective offensive player, bagging one-third of her team’s 15 goals.
She has racked up five goals and one assist for a team-leading six points in eight games.
Merrill has scored in back-to-back games and five out of her last six.