2008 KENDALL HOCKEY CLASSIC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE SEAWOLVES
VS.
Connecticut Huskies (Oct. 10, 8:07 p.m.)
Northeastern Huskies (Oct. 11, 7:07 p.m.)

Radio: KTZN 550 AM (Friday/Saturday) Kurt Haider (play-by-play)
Television: GCI Channel 1 (delay), both games

CLASSIC QUICK HITS
• UAA has won three of the last five tournament titles
• UAA is 12-3-2 all-time in Classic opening games
• UAA is unbeaten in its last eight tournament-opening contests (5-0-3)

THIS WEEKEND: The 30th season of Seawolf hockey gets under way this weekend as the Seawolves host Alaska Fairbanks, Connecticut and Northeastern at the 18th annual Kendall Hockey Classic, Oct. 10-11 at Sullivan Arena. The Seawolves open their 2008-09 campaign against Connecticut on Friday, Oct. 10 at 8:07 p.m., and will play Northeastern on the concluding night of the tournament, Oct. 11, at 7:07 p.m. The opening game of the tournament features new scheduling partner UAF against Northeastern at 5:07 p.m. on Friday. UAF then plays Connecticut to open play Saturday at 4:07 p.m.

SEAWOLF HOCKEY ON THE NET: You can find information on UAA hockey, including player bios, stats and results, along with KTZN radio broadcasts on the internet at www.GoSeawolves.com. Streamed live statistics will be available for all UAA home games on GoSeawolves.com. Live and archived video game streams will also be available on the web to GCI internet subscribers at www.gci.net.

UAA ALL-TIME  AT THE KENDALL HOCKEY CLASSIC
All-Time Record: 17-12-7  Titles: 5 (1988, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2006)
Classic Notes: UAA has participated in all 17 previous Classic tournaments ... the Seawolves have won the tournament title three of the last five years ... the tournament was started in 1983 and ran annually until the 1992-93 season ... the 1989-90 Classic was cancelled due to the volcanic eruption of Mt. Redoubt ... after a five-year hiatus, the Classic returned for the 1999-2000 season ... the Seawolves have had five different players named the Classic’s Most Outstanding Player—goaltender Paul Krake (1988 and 1990), forward Mike Scott (2001), forward Dallas Steward (2003), forward Shea Hamilton (2004) and forward Josh Lunden (2007).

UAA IN SEASON OPENERS: The Seawolves are unbeaten in their last six season-opening games at 6-0-1 ... UAA is 16-10-3 all-time in season openers ... Friday’s opener marks the 26th time in program history UAA has opened its season at home ... in opening games of the Classic, the Seawolves are 12-3-2. UAA defeated Wayne State 5-2 to begin the Classic last season.

SEAWOLVES AGAINST 2008 KENDALL OPPONENTS: UAA has previously faced both its Kendall Classic opponents — sporting a solid 6-1-0 record against the Northeast foes. UConn has lost of 5 of 6 meetings with the Seawolves — with the last two losses coming in a UAA sweep in Storrs in 1989. The Seawolves have outscored the Huskies 42-18 over the course of the rivalry. Northeastern dropped its only meeting with UAA, 5-3, at the 2001 Classic before falling 3-0 to eventual champion Denver.

SCOUTING THE 2008 KENDALL CLASSIC FIELD

ALASKA FAIRBANKS: The Nanooks' 30th season of NCAA hockey officially opens with their third appearance at UAA's Kendall Hockey Classic. UAF, which finished 9-21-5 last season and ninth in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, is under the direction of Nanook hockey alumnus and first-year head coach Dallas Ferguson. UAF returns 13 letterwinners from a year ago and welcomes a class of 12 rookies. Offensively the Nanooks will look to make strides, returning three of the top five scorers and last year's leading scorer, Dion Knelsen. With the addition of two league-leading forwards from the junior ranks in Carlo Finucci (BCHL) and Adam Cardwell (NAHL), UAF's offense could prove potent. Senior Steve Vanoosten and junior Dustin Molle anchor the Nanooks' defensive corps and a talented group of incoming freshmen will bolster the blueline. Between the pipes, UAF's goaltending could be the strongest it has ever been with a talented trio led by senior Chad Johnson. Leading the team on and off the ice this season are senior center and captain Adam Naglich and sophomore center and assistant captain Derek Klassen.

CONNECTICUT: Head coach Bruce Marshall will guide the UConn men's hockey program into its 49th season with 21 letterwinners back, including the top-10 point-scorers. The veteran core, along with an infusion of nine newcomers, could help the Huskies to return to the postseason for the sixth straight season. Sophomore forward Andrew Olson, who topped the team with 14 goals and 24 points, and junior forward Chris Ochoa, who tallied 10 goals and 23 points, will spearhead the UConn offensive attack. The Husky defense will be bolstered by the return of senior captain Sean Erickson, who has put up 9-42–51 totals in 84 career games, after an injury-shortened junior season. Fellow senior captain Nick Schneider, who helped lead the young defense last year, also returns for the Husky blueline. The UConn defense also has the luxury of junior goalie Beau Erickson, who allowed just 2.96 GAA with a .913 save percentage last season, returning to protect the goal.

NORTHEASTERN: Fourth-year coach Greg Cronin brings Northeastern on its second trip to Anchorage after dropping both contests in the 2001 Classic. However this showing could be different as the Huskies, who went 16-18-3 overall and 12-13-2 in Hockey East last season, return all but two letterwinners. Northeastern is led up front by senior captain Joe Vitale, who led the team in scoring with 12-23–35 totals in his first season wearing the 'C'. The Huskies' other top returning scorers are sophomores Wade MacLeod (11-16–27) and Tyler McNeely (11-12–23) and senior Ryan Ginand (10-10–20). Junior goalie Brad Thiessen has started nearly every game over the past two seasons and has a 27-34-8 career record with a 2.56 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. In front of Thiessen, the Huskies return all nine of their defensemen from last season, led by seniors Louis Liotti and Denis Chisholm. The Huskies' top-scoring defender last season, junior David Strathman, is back after totaling a 4-12–16 scoring line.

CLASSIC HISTORY: In 17 previous tournaments, seven teams that have played in the Classic have advanced to the Frozen Four that same season ... the 2000-01 Classic field featured two teams that went on to the Frozen Four (Michigan and Michigan State) ... on two occasions the defending NCAA champion participated in the Classic (Northern Michigan, 1991-92; Boston College, 2001-02) ... 16 Classic teams all-time have qualified for the ensuing NCAA Tournament. On four occasions (1987-88, 1991-92, 2000-01 and 2002-03) half of the four-team field participated in the national tournament ... 11 of 17 Classic tournaments have featured at least one NCAA qualifier.

SEAWOLVES FALL TO U.S. TEAM: UAA opened the 2008-09 season with an exhibition loss on Sept. 25 to the U.S. National Under-18 team at Wasilla’s Menard Ice Arena. Despite staking an early two-goal lead on goals from defensemen and a three-assist night from junior forward Josh Lunden, the Seawolves dropped a back-and-forth game 4-3 to the U-18 squad. The Seawolves struck first with goals from defensemen Luka Vidmar and Mat Robinson before giving up three straight to the U.S. team. Junior forward Kevin Clark got the Seawolves even with a breakaway back-hander midway through the second but the visitors answered to put the game away.

UAA TOPPLES BRITISH COLUMBIA: Junior Josh Lunden tallied two goals and an assist and sophomore Kane Lafranchise notched the decisive score in the second to lift UAA to a come-from-behind 6-2 exhibition win over the University of British Columbia on Oct. 4 at Menard Ice Arena in Wasilla. UAA trailed 2-0 before Lunden scored a power play goal to put the home team on the board with just under three minutes left in the first. Freshman Jade Portwood deflected the equalizer with a 1:29 left in the first off a sharp shot from the point by Robinson. At nearly five minutes into the second, Lafranchise scored the game-winner off an assist from Portwood and sophomore Winston DayChief, Lunden and Kevin Clark each added goals to complete the win. Freshman defenseman Curtis Leinweber finished with a team-high two assists. UAA held a decisive edge on special teams, shutting out the Thunderbirds on all six of their man-advantage chances, while going 2-for-5 on its on power play. The Seawolves, who were outshot 29-26, also got a shorthanded goal from DayChief to complete the special teams mastery. Sophomore Bryce Christianson and junior Jon Olthuis split time in goal for UAA. Christianson, who gave up both goals, started and stopped 10 Thunderbird shots before Olthuis relieved him mid-way through the second and finished with 17 saves to help close the win.

SEAWOLF NOTES: UAA returns 21 letterwinners from last year’s team that finished 7-21-8 overall and 3-19-6 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. For the second consecutive season the Seawolves won the Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup by disposing of their intrastate rivals in the teams’ annual four-game series. UAA extended its non-conference unbeaten streak to two seasons as well by going 4-0-2, including a 3-0-1 record against UAF. The Seawolves also enjoyed wins over conference foes Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth and Michigan Tech, while recording a program-high eight ties during the season. Junior Josh Lunden emerged as the team’s most prolific offensive producer, scoring a career-best 27 points, including a team-best 14 goals to earn team MVP honors. Junior goaltender Jon Olthuis recorded the program’s lowest goals-against average in eight seasons (2.89). Senior blueliner Mat Robinson has played in 105 straight games for the Seawolves.

THE CAPTAINS: Wearing the captain “C” in 2008-09 for Alaska Anchorage is senior defenseman Mat Robinson (Calgary, Alberta) ... the assistant captains are junior forwards Josh Lunden (Coquitlam, B.C.) and Paul Crowder (Victoria, B.C.).

UAA HOCKEY ON GCI: For the third straight year GCI will both televise and stream all UAA home games and select road series. All televised games will be broadcast on GCI Cable Channel 1. Home games will be aired tape delay, showing at 10:30 p.m., while most road dates will be shown live. All internet broadcasts are streamed live on GCI.net (link provided on GoSeawolves.com).

COACHING STAFF: Associate head coach Campbell Blair begins his third season on the bench assisting Dave Shyiak in 2008-09. Blair came to UAA after serving as an assistant at his alma mater Maine for five years ... Joining Shyiak’s staff this season is assistant coach Regg Simon, who skated for UAA from 1996-2001. Simon, who has extensive coaching experience in the junior ranks, returns to Anchorage after a short stint as coach and general manager of the St. Louis Bandits of the North American Hockey League ... Entering his third full season as team liaison is former UAA standout Brian Kraft, who laced up for the Seawolves from 1989-1992 ... Another newcomer to the UAA fold is volunteer coach Scott Johnson, who also works for the Goaltender Development Institute (GDI) as its Northwest Regional Manager covering Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

SEAWOLVES TABBED FOR 10TH: UAA was picked to finish 10th by the league’s coaches in the 38th annual Grand Forks Herald WCHA Coaches Poll while Colorado College cleaned up. The Defending McNaughton Cup champion Tigers were picked to repeat as regular-season titlists and CC goalie Richard Bachman was tabbed as the early favorite for WCHA Player of the Year. North Dakota’s Jason Gregoire and Minnesota Duluth’s Jack Connolly were chosen the league’s preseason Co-Rookies of the Year.

2008 Grand Forks Herald WCHA Preseason Coaches Poll

Rk. Team               Points   
1)  Colorado College   78 (8)
2)  North Dakota       67 (2)
3)  Denver             62
4)  Minnesota          53
t4) Wisconsin          53
6)  St. Cloud State    48
7)  Minnesota State    38
8)  Minnesota Duluth   24
9)  Michigan Tech      14
10) Alaska Anchorage   13
(first-place votes in parentheses)