One of coach Matt Thomas' spoken demands of his UAA hockey team entering the season was that it squeeze more offense from its defensemen.
What was largely unspoken: Looking at you, Chase Van Allen.
The blueliner from Anchorage, who joined his hometown team after a productive final season in junior hockey, proved a puzzle as a freshman last season, when he furnished eight assists in 30 games to tie for second in points among UAA defensemen. An elusive skater with a strong shot and accurate passing skills, he showed flashes of potential, yet his rookie season also yielded some questionable on-ice decision-making and the inconsistency that often plagues freshmen.
Just four games into his sophomore season, Van Allen has delivered the offense Thomas seeks and given the Seawolves' back-end a boost.
Van Allen leads UAA (3-0-1) in assists and points with 1-5--6 totals that give him twice the points of any teammate, he is the only Seawolf to register a point in every game and he has played in every situation.
Van Allen's early emergence has complemented Austin Coldwell, who as a junior last season (6-13--19 in 38 games) was the only UAA defenseman to average half a point per game. Coldwell, who has two assists this season, last season accounted for half of the goals by UAA defensemen and more than half of the points from the blue line.
Thomas said Van Allen has prospered this season because he has asserted himself, made sounder judgments -- particularly, when to skate the puck out of his zone and when to deliver the first pass to kick-start the attack -- and suffered fewer lapses in focus. Those changes, Thomas said, have elevated Van Allen's offensive contributions.
"The sky's the limit offensively,'' Thomas said. "He can shoot the puck, he has great patience and he responds well to coaching. The biggest thing is he's so shifty and has a unique ability to break the fore-check and get up the ice on his own.''
Van Allen in his last year of juniors for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the British Columbia Hockey League put up 7-25--32 totals in 53 games. That tied him for 10th on the circuit in points by defensemen.
Given ample playing time as a freshman at UAA, Van Allen doesn't think he did enough with the chances he received. For instance, he fired 45 shots without scoring a goal.
"The amount of opportunities I had, I didn't take advantage of them,'' Van Allen said. "It was frustrating for me, and I know it was frustrating for the coaches. I was content with (his freshman season), but I wasn't pleased with it.''
In his exit meeting with Thomas at the end of last season, Van Allen said, the coach implored him not only to shoot more instead of passing up opportunities, but to work on his accuracy.
"If it doesn't hit the net, it's useless,'' Van Allen said. "Instead of just trying to get it on the net, I over-complicated it and tried to be too fine.''
In the offseason, Van Allen said, he vowed to be more assertive and play with confidence.
"I'm finding my way to be more of a factor,'' Van Allen said. "(Thomas) told me to be smart about picking my spots. Mostly I think, 'Don't second-guess yourself. Make a decision and commit to it.'
"And I need to consider the situation. Are we up a goal? Down a goal?''
So far, so good.
Van Allen said his teammates have given him the occasional hard time about all of the points he has bagged early in the season. In a hockey dressing room, being the target of good-natured jabs is nearly always a sign you're doing something right.
Seawolf notes
UAA's trip to Orono, Maine, for a nonconference series Friday and Saturday marks the Seawolves' first visit to Alfond Arena since November 1990, when they tied Maine 3-3 in the series opener and fell 5-3 in the finale.
The trip is a return to familiar territory for Thomas, who was an assistant coach at Maine from 2000-2002, and for volunteer assistant coach Barrett Heisten of Anchorage. Heisten played two seasons at Maine, 1998-2000, and earned 25-40--65 totals in 71 games.
Other Alaska connections who played at Maine include Chris Heisten of Anchorage, a forward and Barrett's brother (1999-2003); former UAA assistant coach Campbell Blair (1988-91), a defenseman who later served as an assistant coach of the Black Bears; defenseman Tony Link of Anchorage (1988-92); former Alaska Aces goaltender Frank Doyle (2002-04); former Aces forward Josh Soares (2003-07); and former UAA winger John Hopson (2005-06).
Reach reporter Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
No. 20 UAA (3-0-1) at Maine (0-4-0)
Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. ADT
Radio: Live, AM-650 KENI