Just a few quick updates on Alaska-connected players:

Former Alaska Aces winger Tyler Ruegsegger bagged his first goal of the AHL season tonight, striking on the power play for the Abbotsford Heat in a 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago.

In the ECHL, former UAA goaltender Nathan Lawson made his first appearance on that circuit in four years and racked 32 saves for the Elmira Jackals in a 4-2 win over Wheeling.

On the college front, UAF stormed back from a two-goal deficit with three second-period power-play goals in a 3-2 win over Merrimack at the Brice Alaska Goal Rush tournament in Fairbanks. Nanooks goaltender Steve Thompson of Anchorage made 27 saves.

Merrimack on Saturday plays UAA, which fell 5-0 to No. 2-ranked North Dakota, which only dressed nine forwards because of suspensions and injuries. UAF plays North Dakota on Saturday.

Notre Dame goaltender Steve Summerhays of Anchorage stopped 33 shots in a 4-1 nonconference win over Minnesota-Duluth. He improved to 3-1-0 with a 1.51 goals-against average and .943 save percentage.

Winger Tanner Sorenson of Anchorage had two helpers for Michigan State in a 3-2 nonconference win over Niagara and leads the Spartans in scoring with 1-2--3 totals in three games.

In women's hockey, Minnesota-Duluth winger Zoe Hickel of Anchorage (oops, originally had this as Tori Hickel, Zoe's sister who plays at Northeastern -- man, too many good Hickels for The Blog's tiny brain) furnished two goals in a 3-3 tie at Minnesota-Mankato -- also for the Bulldogs, they surrendered a 3-0 lead in the final 10 minutes.