Hard-Fought Series Ends in Nanook-le Sandwich

Nooks scruff in earlier-season matchup with AIC.

Photo by Matthew Scragg

By Jacob Knuth

Our Nanooks split their series with the Mavericks of Omaha, Nebraska after losing 3-2 in a close battle on the ice last Sunday, October 23rd. The Mavericks were able to cinch their second win of the season on a power play in overtime. Although they may not regret scoring the game-winning goal, there's a good chance they regret celebrating it in front of the Alaska bench. 

In Nebraska, it must not be common knowledge that UAF hockey players ice skate to class in shorts. In other words, these aren't the guys you want to mess with, which Omaha found out the hard way during the postgame handshake. The series was hard-fought throughout and reached a boiling point by the end where an altercation kicked off between the two teams. If the announcer yelling “a full donnybrook* has broken out at Baxter arena” wasn’t enough to clue viewers in on how dramatic the moment was, then the camera panning away from the brawl certainly did the job. The move away from the action goes to show how frowned upon fighting is at the collegiate level, and just how rare it is to see.

After a few quick seconds of punches flying and suspensions looming, the all-out melee simmered into more of a slow dance where officials became chaperones keeping a close eye on any nefarious activity as players did their best to get away with anything they could. The Mavericks tried their best to hug their way out of it, like tired boxers ready to leave the ring. Maybe it’s just that these young men were trying to crown a real winner the old-fashioned way, but were instead left unsatisfied with a tied series. 

The Nanooks (3-4-1) are slated to face Northern Michigan (4-4) for a two-game matchup next Friday and Saturday, Oct. 28-29. Both games can be watched on FloHockey.tv or heard on KSUA 91.5 FM.

*donnybrook a scene of uproar or disorder; a heated argument (via Oxford Languages)