Helluva Friday night for former Alaska Aces winger Evan Trupp of Anchorage, who delivered big-time for the American Hockey League's Worcester Sharks in a 6-3 win over St. John's (coached by former Aces coach and captain Keith McCambridge).
Trupp didn't just notch his first multiple-goal game in the A, but bagged his first hat trick, added an assist to give him an AHL career-high four points and went +3 for the first time in his AHL career. His five shots on goal were one shy of matching his career high on the circuit one step below the AHL. Trupp, 27, scored two even-strength goals and added an empty-net goal to wrap victory.
Trupp now leads Worcester in scoring with 13-18--31 totals in 52 games, and his +11 rating also leads the farm team of the NHL's San Jose Sharks. Trupp, who last season helped the Aces to the third Kelly Cup in franchise history, owns 4-6--10 totals in the last nine games.
You know, the Aces still own his ECHL rights. Not that he'll be back this season. He's doing far too well for a team that is 6-0-1 in its last seven games and 8-1-1 in its last 10.
On the college front, UAF was wildly outshooting host Alabama-Huntsville on Friday night -- the final count was 41-15 -- but trailed 2-0 deep into the second period. Then the Nanooks' best players played like their best players.
Marcus Basara got things started with a power-play goal in the second period. Tyler Morley midway through the third forged a 2-2 tie with his short-handed strike. And Morley and stud defenseman Colton Parayko assisted on Basara's game-winning, power-play goal with five minutes to go. Colton Sparrow added an insurance goal.
Morley leads UAF in scoring with 14-20--34 totals in 29 games. Basara sits second with 12-10--22 totals in 31 games and a team-high five power-play goals. Parayko is 4-17--21 in 31 games.
UAF improved to 16-13-2 overall and 11-12-2 in the WCHA, where it sits sixth on the 10-team circuit. Unfortunately for the Nanooks, they are not eligible for the WCHA postseason because of NCAA violations in previous seasons.
On the NAHL front, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs (34-14-3) used two goals and a helper from Ethan Somoza to beat visiting Johnstown, 6-4. And Kenai River fell 1-0 at home to Keystone, which got a first-period goal from Garrett Hallford and 22 saves out of Nick Kossoff.