Adam Tisdale sets up a play for the Seawolves. Photo by Justin Cox.
The Seawolves headed to overtime against the University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks on Oct. 7 at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex. During the sudden death period, Maximilion Helgeson found the net and carriedUAA to victory.
But Helgeson didn’t conquer this feat alone. Jared Whale’s 26 saves held the River Hawks to only two goals, helping the Seawolves secure the 3-2 win.
The Seawolves won the first face off of the game, leading to shots by Adam Tisdale and Carson Kosobud. However, tight defense by the River Hawks kept UAA from finding the net.
Eleven saves by Whale also prevented the River Hawks from scoring. The first half was scoreless for both teams.
After 16 minutes of gameplay but no goals in the second period, Porter Schachle put the Seawolves on the scoreboard. Ben Almquist assisted the goal.
The River Hawks tried to respond to the Seawolf goal, but a save by Whale at the buzzer held the opposing team to another scoreless period.
UAA led 1-0 going into the third period.
The River Hawks came into the third period with intensity. They took three back-to-back shots, but Whale was able to block them all.
A little more than halfway through the third period, Riley Thompson found the goal, scoring the second goal for the Seawolves and giving his team a 2-0 lead.
However, a few minutes later, UML found its way to the scoreboard.
Leading by one point with just over a minute left in the game, a Seawolf victory seemed to be just around the corner. Yet, the River Hawks were able to find the goal with a minute to spare, tying the game 2-2.
With that final goal, the teams headed to overtime.
According to College Hockey Inc., overtime features a five-minute sudden-death period — the first team to score wins.
If neither team is able to score within the allotted period, the teams enter a shootout.
Tension was high on the ice and in the crowd as the puck was dropped for the sudden-death period.
The River Hawks won the face off and controlled the puck for the majority of the next four minutes. Whale was able to protect the goal, though, making five saves.
With 51 seconds left in overtime, Helgeson took over the game. He glided down the ice and placed the puck right into the net.
With this overtime goal, the Seawolves snatched a 3-2 victory over the River Hawks.
"I was proud of our team effort,” head coach Matt Shasby said on GoSeawolves.com.
"I thought everyone contributed in different ways. Jared Whale played a game that allowed us to get a lead and chance to win.”
The Seawolves returned to the ice the following night to face off against the River Hawks once again. However, this time UAA wasn’t able to secure the win, losing 2-1.
Sunday’s game featured scoreless first and second periods.
The River Hawks entered the third period eager to put their names on the scoreboard. Within the first three minutes, UML had already taken seven shots.
By the eighth shot, the team found the goal, taking a 1-0 lead over the Seawolves.
Only a few minutes later, the River Hawks extended their lead to 2-0 with another goal.
With 10 minutes left in the third period, a UML penalty allowed Seawolf Matt Allen to score a power-play goal. The Seawolves trailed 2-1.
Down one point with one minute left until the final buzzer, UAA pulled their goalie so they could put another offensive player on the ice.
However, tight defense by the River Hawks prevented a UAA goal, and UML won the second game of the series 2-1.
The Seawolves will take on the Air Force Academy at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex on Oct. 20 and 21.
Head to GoSeawolves.com to see when the puck drops and check out upcoming games.
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