Alaska Looks To Continue Road Playoff Streak :: Need to know notes about the First Round CCHA Playoff series and Alaska hockey...

Need to know notes about the First Round CCHA Playoff series and Alaska hockey...

March 4, 2008

• The Nanooks will open play in the conference tournament on the road for the fourth consecutive year. Although Alaska's five-member senior class has never played at home in the playoffs they have compiled a 9-6 record in three year's time.

• The upcoming first-round match-up with Nebraska-Omaha means the Nanooks can cross the Mavericks off their list of CCHA playoff opponents. In their 16 seasons in the CCHA, the Nanooks have now met every team in the postseason except Lake Superior State.

• Although Alaska and UNO have met four times a year since the 1999-2000 season (36 times) and for 38 total games, this weekend's match-up represents their first postseason encounter.

• The Blue and Gold will look to continue the rising trend they started in Omaha on their last visit (Nov. 23-24). The Nanooks dropped the first game to the Mavericks 4-3 before battling to a 4-4 tie in the rematch to snapped a seven game losing skid that opened the 2007-08 campaign. It also ignited a 5-4-4 mid-season run.

• Alaska will look to get its first win in Omaha since Nov. 4, 2006 when the Nanooks prevailed 4-3. Although the Nanooks lead the all-time series 18-12-8, they have won just once in their last 10 contests against the Mavs (1-6-3).

• For the second time in as many years the Nanooks will play a first-round series against one of its regular-season clustermates. Last year they met Notre Dame for three series.

• With just 405 penalty minutes in 32 games, Alaska leads the CCHA and is 13th nationally for the least penalty minutes per game (12.7).

• Senior forward Aaron Lee leads the Nanooks in postseason scoring with nine goals and two assists through 15 games.

• Junior defenseman and Hobey Baker candidate Tyler Eckford led the CCHA's defenseman through the regular-season in points (23) and points per game (0.82) and finished fourth amongst all skaters in assists (18).

• Freshman forward Landon Novotney leads the CCHA rookies in goal scoring with 13 markers in 28 conference contests and 15 in 32 total games.

• Novotney (5-2-7) and sophomore forward Dion Knelsen (2-5-7) led the Nanooks offensively in February both amassing seven points through eight games.

• Alaska had ten student-athletes named to UAF's Fall 2007 Honor Roll list, with five making the Chancellor's List for a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and the other getting the nod on the Dean's List (3.5 GPA).