UConn advances to Holiday Face-Off championship with 4-1 win over Alaska Fairbanks

In partnership with

UConn men’s hockey opened the second half of its season with a 4-1 win over the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks and advanced to the championship game of the Kwik Trip Holiday Classic in Milwaukee.

Two goals from the power play and a perfect 6/6 performance from the penalty kill led the way to victory. Ethan Whitcomb, Jake Richard, Trey Scott and Jake Percival all scored.

For the first time this season, the Huskies dressed three goaltenders. With all the options available, Callum Tung got the start over Tyler Muszelik and put it another stellar effort, stopping 27 of 28 shots.

Aside from allowing an early breakaway, UConn dominated the opening period. The Huskies had an 11-4 edge in shots and played clean hockey. Meanwhile, Alaska made a pair of mistakes that led to UConn’s first two goals.

Whitcomb started the scoring with a one-time blast on the power play — one of three penalties against the Nanooks in the period.

Then Alaska iced the puck with 18 seconds left, which sent the puck back into the Huskies’ offensive zone. Hudson Schandor won the face-off to Richard, who skated across the ice and fired a shot into the top-corner to extend the lead to 2-0.

49 seconds into the second period, UConn added another. Scott skated in uncontested and scored a power play goal near-side to make it a 3-0 game.

After that, the game flipped. Alaska got on the board midway through and controlled most of the period. UConn took four penalties which allowed the Nanooks to build a 15-10 edge in shots thanks to the extended time on the power play.

Despite the sloppy play, the Huskies carried the 3-1 advantage into the second intermission.

Out of the break, Alaska cranked the pressure up on UConn’s net but couldn’t get the puck past Tung. Then, during a stretch of 4×4 play, the Huskies forced a turnover in the neutral zone that sprung Tabor Heaslip in behind the defense. While his two shots were turned away, Percival skated in to bury the rebound. That put the Huskies ahead 4-1, which proved to be the final.

With the victory, UConn moves back above .500 with an 8-7-1 record. Next, the Huskies will play the winner of Wisconsin and Ferris State in the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off final. Puck drop will be at 6 p.m. ET if the Badgers advance and 2:30 p.m. ET if the Bulldogs pull off the upset.

The Daily Newsletter for Intellectually Curious Readers

If you're frustrated by one-sided reporting, our 5-minute newsletter is the missing piece. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you comprehensive, unbiased news—free from political agendas. Stay informed with factual coverage on the topics that matter.

Join for free today!