The Nanooks dropped a two-game series to the Redhawks of Miami Ohio University this weekend. The Nanooks were stopped 5-1 on Friday, and 5-4 on Saturday. The Nanooks sank to seventh place in the CCHA, lessening their chances of securing home ice for the playoffs.

On Friday, the Redhawks scored a goal after just one minute, as Matt Christie made good on an assist from Marty Guerin and Chris Michael. Joe Pomaranski followed with the game-winning goal just two minutes later, at 3:11. The Nanooks had three power play opportunities in the first period, but were only able to capitalize on the third, as Lucas Burnett, assisted by Jared Sylvestre and Jason Grinevitch with a shot above MSU goalie Brandon Crawford-West, at 12:37.

The Redhawks pushed their lead forward with a power-play goal of their own, as Guerin, assisted by Michael and Mitch Gabzak, knocked another one past UAF's Wylie Rogers at 14:05, bringing the score to 3-1.

The second period of the game was full of penalties, allowing MSU to add two more power play goals to its tally: One by Guerin, assisted again by Michael and Matt Christie at 15:01, and the second by Todd Grant, assisted by Guerin and Geoff Smith, at 18:46. The Nanooks were down 5-1.

The third period started with Rogers being replaced in goal by Keith Bartusch. The Nanooks were unable to narrow the difference in scoring, however, and despite out shooting the Redhawks 12-3 in the third, lost the game. The defeat put the two teams in a tie for sixth place.

UAF Coach Tavis Macmillan said of the defeat, "We looked like a team that was resting on its laurels. They did a very good job on the power play, and they blocked a lot of our shots. We need to make better decisions in certain situations."

On Saturday, it was UAF that took the early lead, with Burnett again scoring on a power play, assisted by Ryan McLeod and Kyle Greentree at 3:28. The Redhawks' Andy Nelson tied the score at 13:38, however, on an assist from Nathan and Matt Davis.

Both teams had been serving penalties. With 15:32 on the clock, UAF's Darcy Campbell received a 5 minute major penalty, and a 10 minute game misconduct for checking from behind, and was ejected from the game, costing UAF a key player.

Despite the loss, the Nanooks were able to score at the very end of the period, with just 57 seconds remaining, McLeod scored again on the power play, putting UAF up by one. He was assisted by Nathan Fornataro and Brandon Gawryletz.

In the second period, MSU rallied with help from the referee's whistle, scoring three power play goals. The first came from Grant, on an assist from Christie and Stephen Dennis at 2:27. The second came on a 5-minute major penalty, and 10-minute game misconduct for Ryan McLeod, allowing Christie to score on an assist from Guerin and Andy Greene, at 4:00. The third goal of the period came at 5:13 from Nathan Davis, assisted by Greene and Michael.

In the third period, with the score 4-2 in Miami's favor, UAF's Ryan Muspratt, assisted by Troy Newton, sunk a rebound on Crawford-West to make it a one-point game, at 1:34. Forty seconds later, MSU made up the goal, as Nathan Davis, assisted by Brad Robbins scored the tenth goal of the weekend on Wylie Rogers, at 2:14. Rogers was pulled in favor of Keith Bartusch following the goal.

The Nanooks played aggressively throughout the period, scoring another goal at 12:11 on a shot from Aaron Lee, assisted by Corbin Schmidt and Kelly Czuy, making it again a one-point game. The 'Nooks were unable to score again, however, despite out shooting the Redhawks 15-4 in the third, and pulling Bartusch for the extra attacker at 19:12. The final score was 5-4.

"Miami's a good team, and we lost a few guys tonight, and it hurt us," said Macmillan. "We lost Darcy Campbell and Ryan McLeod with those penalties, and we also lost Donald Johnson with an injury. I liked the way we responded in the third period. Troy Newton and Ryan Muspratt played well, and Lucas Burnett had a good game. But if you noticed, their best players were scoring, and our best players were taking penalties. We're not going to win games when the other team's best players are scoring, and ours are in the penalty box." Johnson's knee injury may mean the end of his freshman season.

With the defeat, the Nanooks dropped to seventh place, with the Redhawks in sole possession of sixth. The Nanooks must finish the season in sixth place or higher to earn home ice for the playoffs, but there are only two games left of the CCHA season. Next weekend, the Nanooks travel to Omaha, to face the Mavericks of Nebraska Omaha University in the final two games of the CCHA season. The following weekend, the Nanooks host the Seawolves of the University of Alaska Anchorage for the final two games of the Governor's Cup. The series is currently tied at 1.

Photo by John Wagner/Sun Star
UAF's Aaron Lee controls the puck behind the net of Miami of Ohio in the Nanooks' 4-5 loss Saturday at the Carlson Center.

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