Icemen seek to continue winning ways in Alaska
By MATT OLIVA
Sports Writer
After climbing into fifth-place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association conference last weekend with two key victories against Western Michigan, Notre Dame looks to continue its recent success this weekend against the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
Notre Dame (10-13-5, 7-7-4 CCHA) has 10 more conference games left, seven of which are on the road, which could prove a challenge as they try to move up and secure home-ice for the first round of the playoffs.
Alaska-Fairbanks enters the series in last place in the CCHA standings, but hold a 12-11 series record against Notre Dame. Alaska-Fairbanks is looking to move up into the 10th and final spot for the playoffs. It trails 10th place Bowling Green by six points with only ten games to play.
In recent competition, the Irish have been successful against the Nanooks. In the last 11 match-ups between the two teams, the Irish have gone 9-2-0, including capturing the last three series. The two games played at the Joyce Center this year have been very tight, despite the Irish winning both games. Each game was decided by a one-goal margin (1-0, 3-2).
For the Irish to add to their win totals in Alaska, they will need several players to keep contributing. Dan Carlson and Joe Dusbabek combined for a 10-point weekend against Western Michigan.
Carlson, a junior leftwing, has surged to the team lead in goals (nine) with the game-tying and game-winning goals against the Broncos last Friday. He added a goal and an assist on Saturday to give him four points, just the fourth time a Notre Dame player has done that this season.
Dusbabek was able to better Carlson's four points, by recording six in the series against Western Michigan, and currently leads Notre Dame in points. The senior rightwing contributed a goal and two assists in each of the games. He was credited with the first Irish goal in the opener when the puck glanced off of his leg and into the net, and then found the net in game two with a slap shot from the blue line.
"Carlson was the best player on the ice," Irish head coach Dave Poulin stated after last Friday's comeback win. "We had a lot of good players, but he was the best."
The Irish coach also had some good things to say about Dusbabek's play after the series was over.
"Dusbabek played so well," Poulin said. "It was nice to see him get one right away after all the effort he had put in."
Another player that will play a key role in the series is goaltender Tony Zasowski. After his strong performance last weekend, he was named CCHA Rookie of the Week. He won the award for the second time this year after stopping 41 shots and allowing only one even-strength goal against Western Michigan. He ranks fourth in the CCHA in goals-against average (2.41). He also ranks fifth in the conference with a .908 save percentage. At his current pace, Zasowski will break Irish records for net-minders in both categories (Forrest Karr with 2.58 in 1998-99 and Mark Kronholm with .907 in 1970-71).
Zasowski will face top-scorers from the Nanooks in senior leftwing Nathan Rocheleau and sophomore forward Bobby Andrews. UAF also returns 20 of 26 letter winners from its team that finished in eighth place in the CCHA last season.
All Sports Stories for Friday, January 28, 2000
