Woody on Hockey

Alaska is hockey heaven -- the Alaska Aces are perennial ECHL contenders, the UAA Seawolves play in the nation's premier college league and NHL star Scott Gomez headlines a contingent of pros. Join the conversation about the Aces and Alaska hockey with Doyle Woody, who has covered the game here at all levels for 29 years.

Contact: dwoody@adn.com

Aces v. Idaho

Alaska's Zach Harrison races Idaho's Jace Coyle into the corner in the first period. The Alaska Aces played the Idaho Steelheads in Anchorage on Friday, January 20, 2012.

The Alaska Aces played the Idaho Steelheads in Anchorage on Friday, January 20, 2012.

Aces 3 Stockton 1

Lured out of retirement to aid his injury-depleted former team, Matt Shasby celebrates after scoring the first goal of the game for the Alaska Aces during first-period action against the Stockton Thunder Friday evening January 13, 2012 at Sullivan Arena. Shasby had last scored a goal April 24, 2009, and had last played a game June 5, 2009, the seventh game of the Kelly Cup finals.

Matt Shasby scores a goal and Jim Dahl earns an assist in a 3-1 Alaska Aces win over Stockton January 13, 2012 at Sullivan Arena.

The Blog Is Going Dark For A Spell - 2/6/2012 11:00 pm

This Aces Roadie Isn't Like The Last One - 2/6/2012 5:05 pm

Aces Lose, Seawolves Win - 2/4/2012 11:01 pm

Pre-Game Brawl In Utah; Plus, Minor-League Notes - 2/4/2012 6:32 pm

Where The Aces Stand Historically At The Two-Thirds Pole - 2/3/2012 10:25 pm

J.T. Brown 4, UAA 1 - 2/3/2012 10:18 pm

Coleman's Killer Performance Leads Our Roundup Of Aces In The AHL - 2/3/2012 7:00 pm

An Injury And Its Trickle-Down Effect On Alaska Goalies Conklin And Pearce - 2/3/2012 11:39 am

UAA's Freshman Haven't Done Much

The transition from junior hockey to Division I is a big jump up, and so far for UAA's first-year forwards it looks like a leap they're struggling mightily to make.

UAA's five freshman forwards -- Alex Gellert (1-1--2 in 7 games), Mickey Spencer (0-1--1 in 6), Daniel Naslund (0-1--1 in 7), Mitch Bruijsten (0-0--0 in 7) and Chris Crowell (0-0--0 and -6 in 7) -- have combined for just one goal and three assists, and gone -12, in a combined 34 games.

On the back end, freshman defenseman Lee Baldwin has furnished three assists in seven games and freshman blueliner Drew Darwitz is without a point in six games.

So, in 47 combined games for UAA freshmen, they've chipped in just 1-6--7 totals. And, remember, Gellert and Baldwin are responsible for 1-4--5 of that.

That trend isn't likely to take the Seawolves to the promised land, otherwise known as home ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs and a Final Five qualification. UAA (3-4-0, 1-2-0 WCHA) lost 5-1 at Minnesota on Friday, when junior Nick Haddad bagged the Seawolves' only goal, with assists from senior defenseman Trevor Hunt and sophomore defenseman Curtis Leinweber.

Seniors Kevin Clark and Josh Lunden, junior Tommy Grant and the rest of the upperclassmen can't carry the mail every night. So far, the Seawolves have used six senior skaters, six junior skaters, two sophomore skaters and seven freshmen skaters.

Here's the breakdown of UAA goals, assists and points by class entering Sunday's series finale at Minnesota.

Seniors (6 guys) -- 6 goals, 5 assists, 11 points in a combined 27 games.

Juniors (6) -- 7 goals, 10 assists, 17 points in a combined 38 games.

Sophomores (2) -- 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points (all by Leinweber) in a combined 14 games.

Freshmen (7) -- 1 goal, 6 assists, 7 points in a combined 47 games.

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