FAIRBANKS – The Nanooks hockey team celebrated their third straight win on February 27 at the Carlson Center. This victory brought their season record to 13-15-2.
In the first period, both teams traded shots evenly, with UAA taking 10 against Alaska’s 8. But it was Alaska’s Alexander Malinowski who scored the game’s first goal after a slick breakout play. Dean Spak passed the puck, allowing Malinowski to slip it past UAA’s goalie Tyler Krivtsov. This lone goal held through two scoreless periods.
The second period saw Alaska dominate offensively, launching 13 shots while UAA only managed five, yet the score remained 1-0. The Nanooks kept the pressure in the third period with 19 shots. Finally, with just over a minute left, Chase Dafoe sealed the win with an empty-net goal, assisted by Braden Birnie and Jackson Anderson.
Rookie goalie Calvin Vachon shone brightly, making 22 saves for his second career shutout. He became the first Nanooks rookie goalie to achieve a shutout since 2008.
Key Stats:
- Both teams struggled on the power play. Alaska went 0-2 while UAA couldn’t capitalize either.
- The Nanooks excelled defensively with 20 blocked shots—matching their second-highest this season.
- Malinowski’s goal marked his 11th point in the last 12 games.
- Dafoe’s empty-netter extended his points streak to seven games, while Birnie also continued his scoring streak with five points in three games.
Tomorrow, the Nanooks face the Seawolves again to close out the 2025-26 Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup series. After that, they’ll head to St. Louis for the United Collegiate Hockey Cup from March 5-7.
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For more on the Nanooks season and updates, check out the Alaska Nanooks Hockey website here.
