Seawolves huddle up for a pep talk before the game. Photo by Justin Cox.
UAA hockey was brought to an abrupt end in 2020 when it was cut because of reductions in state funding.
GoSeawolves.com made the announcement in Aug. 2020 that “in light of declining budgets, UAA Chancellor Cathy Sandeen and Director of Athletics Greg Myford made the difficult decision to eliminate four programs from the UAA roster.”
Men’s hockey – along with women’s gymnastics and men’s and women’s skiing – was eliminated at the beginning of the 2021-22 athletic season. However, Anchorage wasn’t ready for their college hockey team to disappear.
Seawolf 5th Line began when “a group of hockey fans and community members came together to help save Seawolf Hockey,” founder and chairman of Seawolf 5th Line Kathie Bethard wrote in an email to The Northern Light.
Through fundraising and support from the community, Seawolf 5th Line successfully raised $3 million to reinstate the UAA hockey program on Aug. 31, 2021.
Though UAA hockey has successfully been reinstated, Seawolf 5th Line continues to support the team.
“[Seawolf 5th Line’s] mission is to support, advise and work collaboratively with the UAA administration, the community and the student body to establish plans and goals to solidify and grow the overall brand of UAA hockey locally, regionally and nationally,” Bethard wrote.
“Seawolf 5th Line [this year] helped negotiate the donation, so generously provided by Avis Alaska, to replace the 43-year-old bleachers with new, more comfortable and safer bleachers.”
Seawolf 5th Line also paid for the jerseys that were auctioned off during the Green and Gold game on Sept. 23 and 24. Bethard said the profits help pay for team events.
“We will also do the same type of jersey auction for the ‘Pink Out’ game, and those proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.”
The UAA hockey team is grateful for Seawolf 5th Line and their support.
In an interview with TNL, hockey player Ben Almquist said “the 5th Line has done so much for the team and the program."
“The constant support and events that they put on really make a difference. The experience at games and the whole feel of the team are where they are because of the support that the 5th Line provides.”
The non-profit that began three years ago to save Seawolf Hockey has emerged as a vital component of UAA hockey.
After reinstating UAA hockey and continuing to support the team on and off the ice, it’s fair to say that Seawolf 5th Line is accomplishing their mission.
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