The Nanooks took on the Long Island University Sharks for their final series of the year on Friday and Saturday. They fell both times, resulting in a sweep to close the season.
Friday: Sharks take opener 4-2 thanks to two late goals
Two goals in the final period helped the Sharks come away with a 4-2 win, seeing the Nanooks drop the opener.
Alaska started the scoring with an unassisted tally from Braden Birnie around five minutes into the game. From there, Long Island scored two unanswered to take the lead at 2-1 going into the intermission.
UAF had two power play opportunities in the first, converting on one, coming on Birnie’s score. Long Island finished 1-2 as well, scoring their opportunity on their second goal of the period.
The shot total favored the Sharks by two, a gap that increased heavily in the second, where they put up 11 shots to Alaska’s three. Despite the difference, the score stayed the same, seeing the Nanooks 2-1 going into the third.
A quick score from Luke Johnson 1:42 into the period leveled the game at two goals each, where things stayed there until after the midpoint. Later, Chris Pappas produced the eventual game-winner, putting the Sharks ahead 3-2 for their second lead of the night.
An empty-netter closed things out at 4-2, ending the Nanooks’ two-game winning streak and setting up the series final on Saturday, where the team looked to avoid the sweep.
The final shot total favored LIU, 27-16. For UAF, goalkeeper Lassi Lehti went 23-26 on save opportunities.
Saturday: Nanooks close out season with 2-0 defeat
In their last game of the season, the Nanooks were shutout by the Sharks for a final score of 2-0. It saw them go 3-3 in their final six-game road trip.
For Long Island, one goal in the first and another in the third marked the only scoring. Carter Rapalje netted both, coming initially on the power play and later into an empty net.
Throughout the contest, UAF put up 32 shots, mostly coming in the second with 14. It saw them outpace their opponents in that category, as LIU fired 22. On the power play, the Nanooks went 0-3 compared to 1-4 for the Sharks.
Nicholas Grabko started in net for the Nanooks, allowing one goal and making 20 saves.
The sweep saw the Nanooks finish the season at 12-14-6. They next return to the ice in the 2025-26 season, which is expected to start in late September.
Contact Caleb Jones at (907) 459-7530 or at cjones@newsminer.com.
