BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Alaska Nanooks hockey team is prepping for their first matchups with the Vermont Catamounts this weekend on Jan. 28-29. 

Friday, Jan. 28/Saturday, Jan. 29 at Vermont
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Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, Vt., 3:00 p.m. AKT

Last Game (at Minnesota 1/15/22)
The Alaska Nanooks hockey team knocked-off the #8/8 Minnesota Gophers in Minneapolis. They used two second-period goals to win it 3-2 for their first win over Minnesota since the 2005-06 season. 
 
Filip Fornaa Svensson got the scoring started early for the Nanooks as he played a puck on his backhand and beat Gopher netminder Justen Close over his right shoulder. Didrik Henbrant and Brady Risk picked up assists on the goal. That was the lone goal of the opening-period as the Nanooks managed seven shots-on-goal in the first while Minnesota put 12 on net. Gustavs Davis Grigals stopped all in the first. 
 
In the second, Blake McLaughlin scored for Minnesota only 5:43 into the middle stanza. He took a pass from Matt Staudacher, entering the attacking-zone and beat Grigals glove side in the top-corner making it 1-1. The Nanooks took the hit and rallied 13 seconds later as Brayden Nicholetts tallied his second goal of the season off of an intercepted puck. Matt McKim kept the puck in the attacking-zone and Nicholetts positioned himself in front of Close, getting just enough of a deflection to sneak it in the back of the net. That made it 2-1 and the 'Nooks weren't done yet.
 
When on a 5-on-2, the Nanooks capitalized. Jordan Muzzillo pushed a pass across the slot to Riley Murphy and off of his shot, Markuss Komuls found the puck on the rebound just outside of the crease and slotted the game-winner in the back of the net. 
 
Alaska gave up one more only 18 seconds into the start of the third, but Grigals stopped the other 12 shots-on-goal and the upset became reality as the time ran out in 3M Arena at Mariucci. 
 
This was the first win for the Nanooks over a ranked-opponent since Clarkson came to town for the opening-weekend of the 2021-22 season. Clarkson was ranked #20/RV at the time of the win. This was also the first win in 3M Arena at Mariucci since Oct. 14, 2005 when the Nanooks knocked off the #1-ranked Minnesota Gophers 4-3 in OT.

Quick Hitters

• The Alaska Nanooks are coming off of a weekend off following their series-split at Minnesota in 3M Arena at Mariucci. 
• GUSTAVS DAVIS GRIGALS and BRADY RISK are the Nanooks nominations for the Hobey Baker Award this season. RISK is through his first 22 games as a rookie and leading the Nanooks in points with 20. He became the first rookie to score 20 points since Steven Jandric in the 2017-18 season (23 points - 4G, 19A)
• The Nanooks jumped up seven spots in the NCAA rankigs for penalty-kill percentage after their strong weekend at Minnesota. They allowed zero power-play goals to the Gophers, going 10-for-10 on the kill.
• The Nanooks also saw a small jump in their own power-play success, going 1-for-7 while on the man-advantage.
• Alaska's win over Minnesota was their first win over a ranked-opponent since the season-opening weekend when they defeated Clarkson who was ranked #20/RV at the time of the game.
• MARKUSS KOMULS has been a wall on defense, collecting a team-high 31 blocks through 22 games. Alongside his blocking ability, Komuls picked up the game-winning goal against Minnesota on Saturday, Jan. 15, grabbing the third goal on a rebound just outside the crease making it 3-1 at the time of the goal.
• FILIP FORNAA SVENSSON and GARRETT PYKE are tied for the second-most blocks on the roster for the 2021-22 season. Each have tallied 26 on the season.
• BRAYDEN NICHOLETTS has been efficient during his time on ice. The rookie has two points, both on goals, while taking only seven shots this season. He holds a team-high in shot percentage with a .286.
• CONNOR MYLYMOK strikes when he's on the ice. The rookie leads the way in plus/minus with a 5 through 14 games. He has three goals and two assist on the year and has a .214 shot percentage.
• GRIGALS has seen a steady increase in his save percentage as the goalie has now made 509 saves on the season for a percentage of .914. His goals allowed average has also dropped to 2.61.
• As a team, the Nanooks are being outshot 23.82 to 30.68. Despite the difference, the Nanooks are still only -1.05 in their goal differential, allowing 3.14 while scoring 2.09.
• Alaska owns the second period on opponents, scoring 25 of their season goals in the middle stanza while allowing 19. They're outscored in the first 8-21 and in the third, 13-25. The Nanooks are putting the most shots-on-net in the second, with 197 for an average of 8.9 shots per second period.
• The Nanooks have 111 minors to their name this year, 16 more than their opponents who have tallied 95 against Alaska. They also have six majors while opponents have four.

Meet the Opponents

• Vermont comes into this weekend's matchup at 4-15-2, 3-8-2 Hockey East. They've seen more success on the road then at home as they're 1-11-0 on home-ice and 3-4-2 on the road. They, like the Nanooks, have not seen any neutral site action this season.
• Vermont is averaging 1.62 goals per game, but despite the lack of scoring, they're also allowing 2.71 goals per game, good for the 24th best defense in NCAA DI hockey. Vermont scores early and often as 16 of their 34 goals this season have come in the opening-period. They've scored eight second-period goals and seven third-period goals. They've also grabbed three overtime wins, coming against Boston College on Oct. 29, 2021 (W, 5-4), Maine on Dec. 3, 2021 (W, 1-0) and Boston University (W, 2-1).
• The Catamounts are posting 26.19 shots per game while allowing 29.52 per game. They are converting on 15.6% of their power-play opportunities, converting on 12-77.
• In 10 of their 21 games, the Catamounts have struck first on the scoreboard, one of which came while with an extra-attacker.
• Vermont stays out of the box as they average 3.33 penalties per game. They have 70 on the season including 64 minors, three
• majors and three game misconducts. They see an average of 8.24 penalty minutes per game.
• They are one of the top teams in the faceoff circle, winning 53.1% of faceoffs.
• On the offensive end, the Catamounts are led by PHILLIP LAGUNOV. #13, a senior forward from Hamilton, Ontario has posted six
• goals and six assists for a team-high 12 points.
• ANDREW LUCAS, #6, a junior defenseman from Alexandria, Va. leads the team in assists, posting eight from the blue line. LUCAS
• wears the captains 'C'.
• Vermont is coached by Todd Woodcroft, who after four seasons as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets, became the fifth
• head coach in Vermont men's ice hockey history. He was named the head coach on April 15, 2020. Woodcroft spent four years on the bench of the Jets and prior to Winnipeg he spent three seasons with the Calgary Flames as the team's Scouting Director and professional scout. His background includes four seasons with the LA Kings from 2009-13 as their primary European scout, winning the 2012 Stanley Cup. He has a background with the Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals as well. He's won two IIHF World Championship Gold Medals with Team Canada in 2004 and Team Sweden in 2017 and during 2016 he was an assistant coach with Sweden in the World Cup of Hockey.
• Vermont has five players with NHL rights. ROBBIE STUCKER was a 7th round pick (210th) in the 2017 NHL Draft, being drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets. ANDREI BUYALSKY went in the 3rd round (92nd) to the Colorado Avalanche in the 2021 draft. Just before him was LUCA MUNZENBERGER who went to the Edmonton Oilers in the 2021 Draft in the 3rd round (90th). The final two with NHL rights are ISAK WALTHER who went in the 6th round (179th) of the 2019 draft to the Nashville Predators. Finally, Timofei Spitserov went in the 7th round (210th) of the 2020 draft to the San Jose Sharks.
• Vermont has three A's on the roster; Carter Long, William Lemay and Jacques Bouquot.

Last Time Out

• The Nanooks are coming off of a three-week road trip that began on New Years Eve 2021.
• The Nanooks kicked off the new year in Denver with a matchup with the Pioneers at Magness Arena. They fell in game one
• before tying the Pios 4-4 in game two. Following their Denver trip, the Nanooks flew to Maine for two with the Black Bears.
• In game one, the Nanooks posted a season-high goals with a 6-2 win and a hat trick from rookie Brady Risk. In game two, the
• Black Bears scored four unanswered goals to take a 4-2 win over Alaska, spoiling the 'Nooks attempts at a road sweep.
• Finally, to end their road trip, the Nanooks went to #8 Minnesota for their rescheduled series following a COVID postponement
• in early October.
• In game one, the Naooks fell behind 2-0 after the opening period. A power-play goal from PAYTON MATSUI made it 2-1 heading
• into the third period but two Gopher goals put the game out of reach at 4-1.
• On night two, the Nanooks took advantage of their opportunities and scored a 3-2 win over the top-10 ranked Gophers.
• They used a goal only 59 seconds into the game to take a 1-0 lead. Off of a deflected puck from DIDRIK HENBRANT, FILIP FORNAA
• SVENSSON made a move on Gophers' netminder, Justen Close and put the backhand over his right shoulder for the tally.
• Blake McLaughlin of Minnesota made it 1-1 only five minutes into the second but it took only 13 seconds for the Nanooks to
• respond as MATT MCKIM intercepted a pass in the attacking-zone and put the shot on net. BRAYDEN NICHOLETTS screened off Close and found enough of the puck to redirect it into the back of the net, quickly making it 2-1 Nanooks. MARKUSS KOMULS then scored the game-winner on a Nanooks 5-on-2. After a JORDAN MUZZILLO pass to RILEY MURPHY, KOMULS found the loose puck off the rebound just outside the crease and slotted the winner home.
• This was the Nanooks first win against Minnesota since Oct. 14, 2005 when Alaska won 4-3 OT against the #1-ranked Gophers. The next night, Oct. 15, 2005, the Nanooks tied Minnesota.

Looking Ahead

• The Nanooks and Vermont have never faced off until this weekend. This will be the first matchup between the Nanooks and Catamounts according to the Alaska Nanooks All-Time Series Archives.
• Following Vermont, the Nanoooks will head to Oceanside Ice Arena on the campus of Arizona State for two with the Sun Devils on Feb. 4-5.
• After ASU, the Nanooks will finally return home for the 2022 part of their season. It will be the first home game since Dec. 15, 2021 when the Nanooks defeated RPI 4-1. They'll take on St. Thomas on Feb. 11-12 for UAF Research Night on the 11th and Military Appreciation Night on Feb. 12.
• They'll then hit the road one last time, flying to Long Island University for a two-game matchup with LIU on Feb. 18-19, the first matchups between the Nanooks and Sharks.
• Alaska will end their season on home-ice on March 4-5. They'll first welcome ASU to the 49th state on Feb. 25-26 for Hockey Week in Fairbanks before LIU comes up for Parents/Senior Night on March 4-5. Alaska will play an exhibition against the U.S. NTDP (U18) on March 9 in Plymouth, Michigan at the USA Hockey Facilities.

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