Nanook Notes

I’m hitting the road to Fairbanks in the next couple hours so here are some links from the last couple of days:

Here’s a preview of the men’s basketball game against Central Washington, before the team traveled up here. CWU eventually beat the Nanooks 92-80. Here’s the News-Miner’s article.

The men then pulled a victory over Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, 88-86. A missed last-second three by a Crusader secured the win but surely had everyone on the edge of their seats.

The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy wrote an article saying that despite the dark and cold, the Nanooks are having a bright and shiny season. He highlights first-year coach Dallas Ferguson and the team’s bonding time on long road trips.

Also on the hockey front, senior goalie Chad Johnson is the only Nanook to make the top (and only) 50 in “contention” (because only 10 guys are really in contention) for the Hobey Baker award, which goes to the best men’s college hockey player each year. You can vote for him here.

In not-so-bright-and-shiny hockey news, the Nanooks were swept by the Fighting Irish on the road this weekend. A 2-0 shutout by the No. 1 team in the nation came on Friday. The Nanooks were also handed a shutout, 3-0 on Saturday, it was the first time the team has been shutout in an entire series since they became a part of the CCHA in the ‘95-’96 season.

Danny Martin attributed some problems to the Nanooks’ power-play unit, which didn’t produce any goals in twelve chances this weekend. The Nanooks, who have one of the nation’s best defenses (dropped to third in the country, and second in the CCHA– to Notre Dame– after this weekend’s shutouts. …ick, I can’t find the USCHO.com link to the defensive team stats, and I don’t have the time to look for them…

Last week USCHO.com’s Paula Weston wrote about her excited-ness (is that a word?) about the fact that four non-Michigan teams are in the top four spots in the CCHA, and what the playoffs would be like (read: low attendance at the Joe in Detroit). For the unenlightened, half of the teams in the CCHA are located in Michigan. At the time of the article, Notre Dame was No. 1, Miami (Ohio) was in the two-spot, the Nanooks were in third, and are still in third, though now tied with the then-four-spot Nebraska-Omaha.

The women’s basketball team took a 75-57 loss at Saint Martin’s.

Last, but certainly not least, the skiers got to finally ski at the UAA Invitational after four of five days of racing at the U.S. National Championships in Anchorage were canceled due to the cold. (yes, it gets cold in SouthCentral Alaska too, sometimes… I’ll bring the heat up with me though)

Man, time for me to shower and hit the road. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some pics at the men’s basketball game against UAA on Wednesday. Bring your best “What’s a Seawolf?” face!