By Avery Williamson
With the first half of the season wrapped up, the Seawolves prepare to face new foes.
The Seawolves surprised the NCAA and gained new fans this season after defeating ranked opponents Penn State and Wisconsin. And, even tougher feat, they did it on the road both times.
After a close 2-1 loss to Penn State on Oct. 26, the Seawolves secured a 6-5 victory the following night to hand the No. 17 Nittany Lions their second loss of the season.
As if that win wasn’t impressive enough, the Seawolves shut out the No. 6 University of Wisconsin 1-0 on Nov. 24.
There are more opportunities for upsets still to come this season. The Seawolves will face No. 12 Arizona State and No. 9 Providence in the spring with hopes of defeating more ranked opponents.
Head coach Matt Shasby highlighted two key elements the team will focus on next semester: the power play and penalty kill.
“We need to start winning those battles each night,” said Shasby.
After training hard over Winter Break, here’s what’s in store for the Seawolves when they return in January:
Alaska Fairbanks
The Seawolves will kick off the second half of the 2023-24 season against in-state rivals Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks on Jan. 13.
The rivals will meet for the final time this season on Feb. 3 at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex.
UAA has faced–and lost to–the Nanooks four times so far this season. This follows two overtime losses against the Nanooks last year.
The Seawolves will work to end Fairbanks’ dominance this season when they return from break.
Providence College
After heading to Fairbanks, the Seawolves will take on No. 9 ranked Providence College in Rhode Island on Jan. 19 and 20.
UAA is looking forward to its first win, with Providence winning their last five match-ups in 1982, 90 and 92.
With a new team and new talent, the Seawolves are looking to grab their first win over Providence College in early 2-24.
Long Island University
The Seawolves will return to the Avis Alaska Sports Complex to face off against the Long Island University Sharks on Feb. 10 and 11.
Of their three matchups last season, UAA won two of them.
The Sharks have never played in Anchorage. With a home-rink advantage, the Seawolves could add two more wins to their perfect record against Long Island.
Lindenwood University
The Seawolves then head to Missouri the following week to face off against Lindenwood University on Feb. 16 and 17.
Last season was the first time these teams met and it was UAA’s last series of the season. Following a 7-7 tie in the first game, the Seawolves concluded the year on a high note with a 4-3 victory over the visitors the following night.
The trip this February will be the Seawolves’ first time traveling to Lindenwood.
Augustana University
The Seawolves will face a new foe when they go up against the Augustana University Vikings Feb. 23 and 24 in South Dakota.
For fans trying to glean how our boys will stack up to Augustana, the Seawolves were able to defeat Wisconsin while the Vikings were shut out by the Badgers.
Stonehill College
The Seawolves and Stonehill College are also meeting for the first time. They will face off at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex on March 1 and 2.
Arizona State University
The Seawolves will wrap up their season against Arizona State University at home on March 8 and 9. At the time of this article, Arizona State is ranked No. 12 in the country.
UAA and Arizona State have already battled in one series this season, with the Sun Devils taking both games in Tempe in November.
Shasby said the team is most excited about playing Providence, Augustana and Stonehill.
“It is always fun to play new teams,” he said.
“Providence will be our most challenging, but at the DI level all games are challenging and will take a ton of effort to win.”
It’ll be an intense skate to the finish for the Seawolves, but if anyone can rack up some more wins, it’s them.
JOIN US
Tickets for home games are available here.
Home games are also broadcasted on the UAA Seawolves YouTube page for free with commentary provided by David Tuttle and Matt Nevala.
For away games, join fellow fans and meet up at Las Margaritas, the official watch party location of Seawolf Hockey at 541 W. Dimond Blvd.