News from the other side

Check out this link for highlights from last night's game. The video also does a pretty good job of illustrating that there wasn't very many fans at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage last night. While the box score says that the paid attendance for last night game was 3679, it would appear from the broadcast and from the news highlights that the actual attendance was a lot smaller. I just don't get it. Why wouldn't the attendance be higher?

While UAA has had a tough go at it the last three seasons, UAA is improving and UAA coach Dave Shyiak has his team close to being a decent to very good hockey team in the WCHA. UAA also plays in one of the premier hockey conferences in Division one hockey. Lastly, I also don't buy the argument that there is a lot more to do in Anchorage than some of the other other WCHA cities; like say Grand Forks, Saint Cloud, Houghton or Mankato. It is the dead of winter in Alaska right now and hockey would seem to be a natural fit for a state that is known for it cold winters and majestic beauty.

Here is the Anchorage Daily News story on last night's game.

UAA certainly didn't go down without a fight. The Seawolves outshot the Fighting Sioux 18-12 in the final two periods.

"I thought we played well enough to win," UAA coach Dave Shyiak said. "You gotta give (North Dakota) credit. They earned their breaks -- they got a power-play goal and a bounce to go their way in overtime.

"We hung in there with one of the best teams in the country."

Here is Anchorage hockey blogger on attendance for hockey in Anchorage.

In the meantime, UAA entertains North Dakota this weekend in its final WCHA home series, and the Seawolves could use some more fans. Look in Friday's paper for a chart detailing the program's attendance drop this season, which is in keeping with most of the teams in the league, although UAA's drop is the second-worst.

In any event, the Aces have dropped in attendance, too, but just barely. They open a three-game, ECHL road trip at Phoenix on Saturday.