By Journal Sports Staff

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Northern Michigan University hockey team’s overall and WCHA records fell back to .500 after the Wildcats lost 5-2 at Alaska-Fairbanks late Friday night.

The Wildcats slipped to 3-3-3 overall and 2-2-1 in league games with the closing game of the series to start late Saturday night. UAF is 3-4 and 1-2.

The home team opened with three unanswered goals, two in the first period by Tyler Morley and one of those during a five-minute power play after a major was called on NMU senior forward Darren Nowick for contact to the head. He also received a 10-minute game misconduct.

The Nanooks’ Colton Sparrow made it 3-0 not quite six minutes into the second period before NMU got on the board about five minutes later.

Wildcats sophomore forward Zach Diamantoni banged home a rebound for his first goal of the season just after a Northern power play expired. He followed up a shot that went wide by senior defenseman Ryan Trenz that ricocheted off the boards and right to Diamantoni in front of the goalmouth.

Zach Frye re-established UAF’s three-goal lead with a goal off NMU freshman netminder Atte Tolvanen early in the third period.

Northern crept back within two about seven minutes later when freshman forward Denver Pierce brought the puck up on a 2-on-1 rush and opted to take the shot himself and snapped the puck past Nanooks goalie Davis Jones and popping the water bottle.

But NMU couldn’t get anything more past Jones and instead Tolvanen gave up a score to Tayler Munson with 4:59 to go.

NOTES: The Wildcats lead the all-time series, 31-12-12 … Diamantoni’s goal was the second of his career; he netted his first on March 14 at Bowling Green … Trenz’s assist was his first of the season; he last posted a helper Feb. 27 against Lake Superior State … Pierce became the first Wildcat freshman this season to net his second goal … Ryan Black, who posted his first career assist Oct. 31 against Bemidji State, netted a helper for the second straight game … NMU held a slight 23-22 edge in shots … Jones made 21 saves for the Nanooks while Atte Tolvanen made 17 for the Wildcats.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.