UAF head hockey coach Erik Largen has been involved in enough Governor’s Cup games to know wins in the annual series between UAA and UAF often come down to a crucial moment or fortuitous bounce.
Largen and his team found themselves on the right end of that key play in front of a sold-out crowd Friday at Avis Alaska Sports Complex.
UAA center Tanner Edwards was whistled for a faceoff violation on the opening draw of overtime and UAF wasted little time in capitalizing, scoring a power-play goal a minute later to take a 3-2 victory.
Nanooks defenseman Broten Sabo got the game-winner 1:02 into the overtime period, smashing a one-timer past Seawolves goalie Greg Orosz to give UAF the first victory in the 2024-25 series.
“Every game between us, it’s always something different,” Largen said. “It always comes down to these types of moments in the game. Fortunate for us, we got the power play in overtime and had the final shot.”
Until the overtime, the game was playing out like a classic Governor’s Cup tilt with both teams gaining the upper hand in a back-and-forth matchup. UAF struck twice in the opening period, taking a 2-0 lead into the locker room.
UAF’s Brendan Ross got the scoring going at 5:15 of the opening period, scoring on a deflected shot that slipped past Orosz on the stick side. Matt Koethe gave the Nanooks a 2-0 lead at 14:36 when he took a big cut at a puck that sprung free from a scrum along the boards and popped a slapshot past Orosz.
“I think we had some rust, obviously, with a multiweek layoff, and that showed in that first period,” UAA head coach Matt Shasby said. “Fairbanks did a good job of just putting the puck away early.”
While the first period was dominated by UAF scoring plays, UAA owned the second period. The Seawolves scored on a power play goal with Conor Cole connecting on a slapshot from the left circle just over a minute into the period.
The goal seemed to energize the Seawolves, who dominated both the puck and the play for most of the second period. Shasby said he was happy with how all four of his lines played as the momentum shifted in the second.
“I think you saw our little bit of a regroup after that rusty first period,” he said. “Our guys found our legs a little bit. You’ve just got to get your game decisions back going again, and we did, and I thought we generated enough to maybe put a couple more in.”
Dylan Contreras knotted the game at 2-2 walking in with a wrist shot at 6:16 of the second period.
“Give credit to them,” Largen said. “I thought they got down to nothing, and then they took over the game for a long time.”
While the two teams each had a period of relative dominance, the third period was evenly played with both teams having opportunities but neither able to connect to break the tie, setting up overtime.
Although the faceoff penalty was rare — especially on a puck drop at center ice — it wasn’t especially controversial.
“To me, it was an obvious penalty,” Largen said. “But you know, I’m on one side of it. But you can’t play the puck when you’re in the faceoff circle with your hand. And I thought he clearly did it.”
The penalty was whistled two seconds into the 5-minute overtime session, which is played at 3-on-3. The power play gave UAF a 4-on-3 advantage and the Nanooks converted a minute into the opportunity.
“It was the right call and Fairbanks made us pay for it,” Shasby said.
On the whole, both goalies played well as Orosz made 20 saves and UAF’s Nicholas Grabko made 21 to earn the win.
Although UAA leads the all-time series between the two teams at 92-78-13, the Nanooks have dominated it in recent years.
The two teams match up against Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Avis Alaska Sports Center.