Ostanik takes helm at Monroe May 27, 2008
Posted by sunstarsports in men's basketball.Tags: Alaska, basketball, coaching, Fairbanks, Frank Ostanik, GNAC, Monroe High School, Monroe Rams, Nanooks, UAF, University of Alaska Fairbanks
1 comment so far
Frank Ostanik, the former men’s basketball coach who stepped down in May 2007, has taken the position as athletic director and head basketball coach at Monroe Catholic School, the Fairbanks school his son, Win, has attended since Kindergarten.
Since his resignation from the Nanooks, Ostanik has been coaching the JV squad at his alma mater, Eilson High School. In the article, he said it took some time to get used to the difference from NCAA Division II basketball and high school junior varsity. He said he got much better at focusing on the players getting better, rather than just wins and losses.
Women’s basketball search gets rolling May 25, 2008
Posted by sunstarsports in women's basketball.Tags: Alaska, Fairbanks, GNAC, Lynne Andrew, Nanooks, UAF, University of Alaska Fairbanks, women's basketball
add a comment
Pamm Hubbard won’t be celebrating a three-day weekend for the Memorial Day holiday (well, neither will I, but that’s irrelevant). She and the rest of the women’s basketball coach search committee will be reviewing 39 resumees to find the person to replace Lynne Andrew, who resigned in late March.
The committee, according to the News-Miner, is made up of player Cristina Bruketta, former Nanook Deanna Dieringer, Bart Lebon from Mt. McKinley bank, Amy Krier, a former president of the booster club, Alaska men’s basketball coach Clemon Johnson and John Fox, the faculty athletic representative.
Among the 39 resumees are a smattering of Div I assistants, Div. II head and assistants, NAIA, junior college and high school coaches, and even one that was described as “other.”
The finalists will be brought to Fairbanks in a format similar to that of the hockey coach selection where they will have a public forum. That time period is expected to be the week of June
Skiing signs three recruits May 21, 2008
Posted by sunstarsports in skiing.Tags: Alaska, CCSA, Erik Soderstrom, Fairbanks, Nanooks, Rebecca Konieczny, skiing, Theresia Schnurr, UAF, University of Alaska Fairbanks
add a comment
The ski team has added three new recruits to its roster for next year: Erik Soderstrom of Sweden, Rebecca Konieczny of Montana and Theresia Schnurr of Germany.
hockey all around May 21, 2008
Posted by sunstarsports in hockey.Tags: Alaska, CCHA, Fairbanks, hockey, Nanook schedule, Nanooks, UAF, University of Alaska Fairbanks
1 comment so far
This News-Miner article lays out the Nanook hockey schedule for next season.
This CSTV release also details the schedule.
This College Hockey News article talks about Ferguson being named coach.
I think the thing about the schedule is for the most part, great. The Nanooks have six games before they face CCHA competition, as opposed to last year, when the Nanooks’ only contests in October were the first two games in the Governor’s Cup series. I am quite disappointed that the Governor’s Cup series is only two games now. As a long-time “Gov Cup” road-tripper, it’s not worth the gas money to drive to Anchorage for one night. If a weekend can be made of it, right on, but to drive six hours for one game, then drive back to catch the next game will be a deterrance for Fairbanks (and Anchorage) fans. Maybe they can get a bus going that will have more than one bus; that would probably be popular, especially as gas approaches and surpasses $4/gallon. Ugh. I’ve already maxed out the credit card charger at $75 per-pump for a not-even-full tank in my truck.
Hockey coach stuff May 17, 2008
Posted by sunstarsports in hockey.Tags: Alaska, CCHA, Dallas Ferguson, Doc DelCastillo, Fairbanks, hockey, Kevin Patrick, Nanooks, UAF, University of Alaska Fairbanks
add a comment
So I’m a little behind the times in this whole hockey coach thing, mostly because I had to move off-campus for the summer and just got my internet set up yesterday, so the whole e-mail/internet access thing was whenever I felt like going on campus to take advantage of my Sun Star privileges and using the office for internet. Man, does the editor e-mail get a LOT of stuff.
Anyways, I found a few interesting pieces prior to and since the hiring of Dallas Ferguson as the Nanooks’ next head coach.
Adam Raeder, of the News-Miner, outlines Karr’s tough decision in his blog. He also notes the importance of the next coach’s ability to bring out the best in goaltenders.
Here, Raeder asks fans to pick Patrick or Ferguson. There are only two comments; and they’re split, but it’s interesting. One points out that Patrick had a plan as to who his assistants would be (Ferguson, for one), while Ferguson did not. I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to go to either of the public forums, but it was finals week and I was moving and life was just going crazy.
The Anchorage Daily News had a staff report article on Ferguson’s hiring. Unfortunately, it appears that Doyle Woody, their resident hockey blogger, is on vacation, or at least a vacay from the blog, since he stated he’d be taking a hiatus for a couple weeks on May 8. Just before the decision. I’m interested in what he’d have to say.
Time to get ready for work. Enjoy the sunshine Fairbanksans!
Men’s basketball adds three May 17, 2008
Posted by sunstarsports in men's basketball.Tags: Alaska, basketball, Fairbanks, GNAC, Kyle Rische, Mason King, Nanooks, slam dunk, Tony Wilson, UAF, University of Alaska Fairbanks
1 comment so far
The men’s basketball team today signed three players; two Alaskans and one “YouTube all-star,” (as the News-Miner’s Adam Raeder put it).
Mason King is from Naknek, Alaska, and is fresh out of high school (with endless honors to boot, see the articles for a list).
Tony Wilson, of Anchorage, makes me a bit skeptical. The kid graduated from high school in ‘03 (a year before me, and I should be done with a ‘traditional four-year degree’) and played junior college ball (2002-2004) which is weird, maybe he graduated in the fall or something, but is also a LONG TIME AGO (say, before I started college). But coach Johnson hasn’t seen him play collegiate ball, only a workout with the Nanooks. We’ll see how he turns out.
Last, but not least, is Kyle Rische of Norwalk, Conn. He was featured on ESPN’s City Slam Dunk competition, which apparently can be found on YouTube. Johnson says he expects Rische to be a big rebounder and shot-blocker, but he hopes to develop his offensive talent as well. I thought that the whole point of recruiting junior college players is that they already have some experience and don’t need to be developed as much. I’m no expert of any sort on basketball though, so we’ll see.
Well, I can’t find any of the footage of Rische specifically, and it’s pretty late to dig too far for me, but here’s the intro video from YouTube.
The verdict is in! Ferguson to coach May 16, 2008
Posted by sunstarsports in hockey.Tags: Alaska, CCHA, Dallas Ferguson, Doc DelCastillo, Fairbanks, hockey, Nanooks, UAF, University of Alaska Fairbanks
add a comment
Dallas Ferguson will be the eighth head coach of the Alaska Nanooks hockey team. Unfortunately, we were not informed of the press conference so the News-Miner is where it’s at.
Here’s a blog post in the Badger Blog about UW assistant Kevin Patrick being overlooked (again) for the job. He was the other finalist.
Sartz named to GNAC’s At-Large Academic Team May 13, 2008
Posted by sunstarsports in Rifle.Tags: academics, Alaska, Fairbanks, GNAC, Nanooks, NCAA, Patrik Sartz, Rifle, UAF, University of Alaska Fairbanks
add a comment
Nanook shooter Patrik Sartz was named to the GNAC’s At-Large Academic team for earning a 3.66 GPA. The At-Large team is for students who compete at GNAC institutions on independent teams or teams that are in another conference that doesn’t have an All-conference academic team.
Governor’s Cup series only 2 games May 13, 2008
Posted by sunstarsports in hockey.Tags: Alaska, CCHA, Fairbanks, Governor's Cup, hockey, Nanooks, UAA, UAF, University of Alaska Fairbanks, WCHA
add a comment
The Anchorage Daily News has an article about the Seawolves’ hockey schedule. While the Seawolves and Nanooks will play in each other’s tournaments, they won’t face off except for the now two-game Governor’s Cup Series, held back-to-back in Fairbanks and Anchorage.
I think that cutting the series to only one game in each town will severely impact the number of fans who will make the journey southward (and northward) to cheer on their respective teams. I know for me and my friends, the Gov. Cup road trip was a must-have every (other) fall.
Patrick’s case to be coach May 9, 2008
Posted by sunstarsports in hockey.Tags: Alaska, CCHA, Dallas Ferguson, Doc DelCastillo, Fairbanks, hockey, Kevin Patrick, Nanooks, UAF, University of Alaska Fairbanks
add a comment
The News-Miner covered hockey coach-hopeful Kevin Patrick’s public forum today. Patrick is currently an assistant at the University of Wisconsin. He emphasized fairness in playing time to the returning players (i.e., everyone gets a chance), and said that if he gets the job, Dallas Ferguson, the other finalist for the position, would be the first person he’d offer an assistant position too. Ferguson has been an assistant for the Nanooks for four years and is currently the interim head coach.
