By Sycely Wheeles
College athletics offer many exciting opportunities for students, one of which is the experience of traveling to different campuses all over the country. This week, the Seawolves are on the road for their first away game of the season. The University of Alaska Anchorage hockey team travels nearly 10,000 miles each season, far more than other NCAA hockey teams within the contiguous United States.
Defenseman Ethan Warrener
The Seawolves had some tough losses on the road last season, but they’re not focused on the past and are generally optimistic about the weekend away, excited for the opportunity to represent their school on the road.
“We’ve been doing a lot of preparations,” said sophomore defenseman Ethan Warrener, “We’re just getting better as a group. We’re going in guns-a-blazin’ to win that thing.”
Besides their most recent Green v. Gold scrimmage, games have been on a temporary hiatus as the team prepares for the upcoming St. Cloud series. This has given the team a chance to focus not only on technique, but on team dynamics as well.
Forward Judah Makway said, “We’re trying to bring a different mindset than last year. We’re working on the culture in the room, and we’ve had a couple of weeks off here where we’ve been going pretty hard getting our conditioning out.”
Forward Judah Makway
Makway is one of five freshmen who will be traveling with the UAA team for the first time. “I think it’s just more focus on yourself. We’ll watch video and stuff on the other team, but it’s more, ‘What are we gonna do to give ourselves the best chance to win every game?’ You have to be dialed in with yourself and be cohesive with the group,” Makway said, in regard to the team’s preparation and mindset. “Going to new places with the guys and just seeing what everything’s about, playing for bigger crowds, that would be what I’m most looking forward to.”
Second-year forward Ryan Johnson expects the team to do “better than last weekend” in their first away series, and he’s looking forward to the road trip. “It’s always fun going on the road; just being with the guys, getting away from school, spending time in the hotel. And just to see what other campuses look like, what their rinks look like,” said Johnson.
Forward Ryan Johnson
The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves face St. Cloud State University in a two-game series, 4 p.m. AKST on Friday, Oct. 24, and 3 p.m. AKST on Saturday, Oct. 25 in St. Cloud, MN. Fans are encouraged to join the official Seawolf Hockey Watch Party at Buffalo Wild Wings. The game can also be viewed on NCHC.tv with a subscription.