Given the dearth of shots it produced Thursday night -- a mere 18 -- UAA through two periods actually stacked up decently against Ferris State when it came to quality scoring chances.
But decent usually doesn't cut it against Bulldogs senior goaltender C.J. Motte, and it certainly didn't for the Seawolves.
Motte, who last season was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's best player, stopped 17 shots and his teammates generated a three-goal third period to rack a 4-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association win.
So it goes for UAA, which has lost three straight games, gone winless in five games (0-3-2) and limped along at 1-9-2 in its last 12 games.
UAA (5-10-4, 2-9-2 WCHA) this season has lost all three of its meetings with Ferris State (10-11-1, 7-6-0 WCHA) -- the Bulldogs blitzed the Seawolves 10-2 and 4-0 in Michigan in November -- and mustered just a combined 55 shots in those two matches. Motte has the Seawolves' number -- of course, that's true of many of the Bulldogs' opponents.
Still, Motte is 6-0-0 against the Seawolves in the last two seasons, with a 1.87 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. The Bulldogs lean on him. He's made all 22 starts this season.
"It's a lot more fun to talk to guys about mistakes when the puck's not in the back of your net,'' said Bulldogs coach Bob Daniels. "In other words, it's a much calmer, cooler atmosphere.''
The Seawolves have scored just four goals in their three consecutive losses.
Thursday, Motte flashed his left pad to stifle Scott Allen's power-play deflection in the waning seconds of the first period at Sullivan Arena. He made a big glove save to deny Blake Tatchell on a 2-on-1 in the second period. And he got the top of his blocker on Allen's bid from the right circle in the third period. Again, the Seawolves couldn't finish.
"I liked us, actually,'' said UAA coach Matt Thomas. "What we need to do is cash in. It's great when you have money at the roulette table, but you've got to win, or you go home.''
Of particular pain to the Seawolves of late is their moribund power play, which went 0 for 5 Thursday and managed just one shot on goal in those situations. They have converted just three times in 49 chances over the last 12 games. Spotty passing has been one issue with the man advantage, Thomas said.
"We make a good play, and then the next play we make is an average play to a guy in an average position,'' Thomas said.
The teams are playing a Thursday-Friday series instead of the usual Friday-Saturday format as a courtesy that allows the Bulldogs to get home to Big Rapids, Michigan, one day earlier than usual after their four-game tour of Alaska. They were swept by UAF last weekend. Ferris State extended UAA the same Thursday-Friday courtesy when the Seawolves made a four-game trip to Michigan earlier this season.
The game remained scoreless until almost exactly midway through the game.
That's when UAA junior Blake Leask, the defenseman who has been converted to a winger and now a center, cracked Motte. After the goalie used his right pad to rebuff Allen's backhander from between the circles, Leask jammed home the rebound from the edge of the crease. That goal came just seconds after UAA goalie Olivier Mantha (19 saves on 22 shots) ranged far above his crease to stone Chad McDonald.
Ferris State gained the equalizer six minutes later off a beautiful line rush. McDonald's threaded a 40-foot pass onto the stick blade of Matt Robertson in the left circle. Robertson slid a cross-ice pass to Kyle Schempp, who got behind defenseman Austin Sevalrud and got just enough of the puck to sweep it behind Mantha.
Ferris State seized its first lead just 25 seconds into the second period when Simon Denis buried a dart of wrister from the slot, beating Mantha to the stick side for a 2-1 lead. Justin Buzzeo added an insurance goal on a rebound 12 minutes into the period and Robertson put a bow on the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Thomas said the pressure of the Seawolves' struggles has players trying to force too many things instead of steadily working as a unit. One example: Defensemen trying to make a long pass to spring a teammate instead of connecting on a short pass to an available winger moving up the ice with speed.
"Because we're struggling to score, guys are trying to make home-run plays instead of hitting singles,'' Thomas said.
Seawolves notes
Sophomore Connor Wright of Anchorage, who has practiced with the Seawolves for a season and a half, made his debut. He fired one shot and earned an even rating.
"I thought he was good,'' Thomas said.
Thomas made sophomore winger Dylan Hubbs a scratch for the first time this season. Sophomore winger Hudson Friesen was a scratch for the second time. Thomas went with a lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen instead of the conventional 12 and six.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
Ferris St. 0 1 3 -- 4
UAA 0 1 0 -- 1
First Period -- None. Penalties – Buzzeo, Ferris St. (tripping), 8:15; Mantha, UAA, served by Van Allen (interference), 9:13; O'Rourke, Ferris St. (slashing), 19:05.
Second Period – 1, UAA, Leask 3 (Allen, Cameron), 9:45; 2, Ferris St., Schempp 4 (Robertson, McDonald), 15:45. Penalties – Lowney, Ferris St. (tripping), :10; Lowney, Ferris St. (holding), 10:14; Sevalrud, UAA (high-sticking), 16:09.
Third Period – 3, Ferris St., Denis 2 (VanWormer, Buzzeo), :25; 4, Ferris St., Buzzeo 4 (VanWormer, Anselmini), 12:06; 5, Ferris St., Robertson 5 (McDonald), 19:10 (en). Penalties – Anselmini, Ferris St. (tripping), 13:40; Allen, UAA (tripping), 14:08.
Shots on goal – Ferris St. 7-5-11—23. UAA 5-6-7—18.
Power-play Opportunities – Ferris St. 0 of 3. UAA 0 of 5.
Goalies – Ferris St., Motte, 10-11-1 (18 shots-17 saves). UAA, Mantha, 4-7-3 (22 shots-19 saves).
A – 1,503 (6,251). T – 2:20.
Referees – Robert Lukkason, Jared Moen. Assistant referees – Carl Saden, Nick Walters.