The Rewind: UAA basketball players earn weekly honors and Seawolves skiers claim Alaska Cup; Wolverines bounce back on the road

Welcome to The Rewind, a weekly digest that puts a spotlight on the biggest stories and best performances from Alaska’s world of sports.

This past week featured several notable individual and team performances across the Alaska sports landscape at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. This past week in the 2024 high school hockey season saw a trio of hat tricks recorded. On the college scene, the University of Alaska Anchorage and University of Alaska Fairbanks basketball programs got conference play underway while the ski teams squared off in the annual Alaska Cup. Outside the state, several Alaskans had impressive performances and career achievements worth recognizing and celebrating.

Headlines and highlights

The theme for this past week in prep hockey around the Cook Inlet Conference was hat tricks as a trio of players recorded them. That included two players from the same team. South got four goals from senior forward Chase Mascelli who scored in all three periods of an 11-1 win over Bartlett on Wednesday including twice in the second to help the Wolverines cruise to a third straight victory.

Chugiak had two players record hat tricks last week. In a 6-1 triumph over Dimond on Wednesday, senior forward Maximus McFall scored the Mustangs’ first three goals. On Saturday, it was fellow senior forward Blake Yawit, who led the team in goals with a trio of his own in a 9-1 blowout of the Golden Bears.

The 2024-25 high school cross-country skiing season officially got underway over the weekend with the Snowball Sprint race at Service High. On the boys side, South junior Vebjorn Flagstad surprised even himself when the accomplished endurance athlete cruised to a sprint race victory.

“I don’t normally consider myself a sprinter, but I guess now I can,” he said. “I was just lucky in the qualifier and heats and didn’t use as much energy.”

In the girls race, it was fellow defending Skimeister from last year’s state championships, Olivia Soderstrom of West, who claimed the top spot.

“It was really good,” she said. “The conditions were really fast, and it was just really fun racing.”

[South High’s Vebjorn Flagstad, a secret sprinter, wins Snowball ski race]

On the college scene, it was a busy week for the basketball, hockey and skiing programs for UAA and UAF that saw the Seawolves shine the brightest overall in all three sports.

Out on the trails in Fairbanks, UAA notched wins in Friday’s freestyle race and Saturday’s sprint race to claim the Alaska Cup over rival UAF. On Friday, senior Derek Deuling won the men’s 10K in a time of 23:51 and then finished second behind fellow Seawolf Erling Bjoernstad on Saturday to help the team secure victory by 55 seconds.

“We had a very solid race day here in Fairbanks!” UAA associate head coach Trond Flagstad said in a statement. “The team really pulled together to put us a little bit ahead of UAF going into tomorrow’s sprint race. As a team we had a goal of building a good lead before the second day, and I think we executed that very well. We had some very strong individual performances from our seniors Astrid (Strav) and Derek that set the tone for the day. We are feeling good about where we are this early in the season. With several skiers coming back from sickness and a few out with sickness — we definitely have room for improvement as well.”

On the rink, the UAA and UAF hockey teams both split a two-game series over the weekend, dropping the first and winning the second. The Seawolves fell to Merrimack 4-2 and bounced back with a 3-1 victory over the Warriors on the road in which three players found the back of the net. Meanwhile the Nanooks fell 3-1 to Augustana and responded with a 2-1 home victory.

All four University of Alaska basketball programs started up conference play last week with the two UAA teams having the most success. The women’s team stayed hot and increased its winning streak to five in a row with dominant victories over Saint Martin’s and Western Oregon.

“We can go out there and compete with anyone at the end of the day,” junior Elainia Mack said after Thursday’s conference opener. “We truly believe that, and we want the smoke. We’re ready to play anybody.”

[UAA women’s basketball wins ‘bittersweet blowout’ in conference opener]

Both Great Northwest Athletic Conference Players of the Week for basketball were Seawolves. Junior forward Bishop Tosi earned the first of his career on the men’s side by recording a pair of double-doubles, including season-highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 71-49 win over Western Oregon on Saturday.

“Bishop was outstanding this weekend and extremely efficient,” UAA head coach Rusty Osborne said in a statement. “His ability to score and facilitate from the forward position adds versatility to our offense and opens up opportunities for his teammates. Defensively, his rebounding was huge. After being forced out for a year with an injury, he is starting to get his timing back with a new group. We are excited to watch him continue to improve.”

Senior guard Emilia Long earned her second weekly honor on the women’s side after leading the Seawolves in scoring over the course of the two games with 15 points in Thursday’s win over the Saints and a season-high 26 points in Saturday’s record-breaking win over the Wolves to go along with a team-leading nine steals and eight assists.

“Millie has continued to get better and better the more she learns our system,” UAA head coach Ryan McCarthy said in a statement. “She is such a dynamic player on both ends of the floor, and she really showed that this past week. She can change a game with her defensive ability and with our depth at the guard position she is able to play a majority of her minutes fresh and aggressive.”

After getting swept by their in-state rivals last week, the Anchorage Wolverines stayed on the road and got back on track by sweeping the Midwest Division-leading Wisconsin Windigo over the weekend. They never trailed in Friday’s matchup as they cruised to a 4-1 victory and dug themselves out of an early two-goal hole to win 5-3 on Saturday, in which they got a pair of goals each from forwards Samuel Evert and Cole Christian.

Alaska stars shining Outside

Anchorage’s Jeremy Swayman helped the Boston Bruins continue their undefeated start to the month of December by notching his second and third wins as the team’s starting goalkeeper. In a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, he made 22 saves on 24 shots, and Friday, he made 23 saves on 26 shots in a 4-3 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers. He is 4-1 in his last five times, and the team is riding a four-game winning streak heading into this week’s action.

The 26-year-old goaltender of South fame was also one of three American goalies named to Team USA for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off in February where he will be among 23 professionals from across the United States taking part in the new eight-day international tournament slated to take place in Boston and Montreal.

Anchorage’s Gus Schumacher notched the third top-five finish of his World Cup skiing career Sunday in Lillehammer, Norway, by coming in fifth place in the men’s 20K skiathlon just behind a quartet of Norwegians in their homeland. His mark of 49:21.6 was just eight-tenths of a second from claiming his second first-place finish of his career and this calendar year after he became the first American man to win a World Cup distance race in four decades back in February down in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

[Alaskan Gus Schumacher claims historic win in World Cup cross-country race in Minneapolis]

Anchorage’s Mikayla Johnson reached double figures in scoring in back-to-back starts for the University of Pittsburgh women’s basketball team this past week. In a narrow 73-69 loss to Duquesne on Wednesday, she finished tied for the third-most points on the team with 11 and was two boards shy of notching her second career double-double with eight rebounds. The former Bartlett standout followed it up Monday by recording 13 points for the Panthers in a 59-53 win over Saint Peter’s.

Anchorage’s Sayvia Sellers reached double figures in scoring for the eighth time this season and recorded a season-high in blocks Sunday in the University of Washington women’s basketball team’s 73-62 loss to UCLA. The former Anchorage Christian School star and two-time Gatorade Player of the Year was the third-leading scorer with 13 points and led the Huskies with three blocks to go along with two steals, three rebounds and two assists.

Anchorage’s Isaiah Moses reached double figures in scoring for the seventh and eighth time this season in back-to-back wins for the University of California Riverside men’s basketball team this past week. In a narrow 68-64 win over California State University on Thursday, he finished tied for the third-most points on the team with 10 that included going 2-of-2 from behind the arc. The former Dimond standout and Gatorade Player of the Year followed it up by recording the third-most points for the Highlanders in a 75-68 win over California State University Fullerton on Saturday where he also drained a pair of 3-pointers.

Anchorage’s Akeem Sulaiman and DeShawn Rushmeyer tied or set career-high in scoring in the Peninsula College men’s basketball team’s 71-60 loss to Green River last Tuesday. The former Bettye Davis East Anchorage standouts finished first and third on the team in scoring, respectively. Sulaiman led the Pirates with a new career-high of 17 points and recording his first career double-double with a team-leading 10 rebounds while Rushmeyer matched his career-high of 11 points and led the team with four assists.

Anchorage’s Brooke Dexter went out with a bang in the final match of her illustrious collegiate career for the Simon Fraser University women’s volleyball team. The former West High standout and 2024 GNAC Player of the Week recipient recorded her eighth double-double of her stellar senior season by leading the Red Leafs with 14 kills and finishing third in digs with 13 in a five-set loss to hosting Cal Poly Pomona last Thursday.

(If you know of an Alaska athlete who has achieved a standout performance or reached a noteworthy milestone on the Outside, email sports@adn.com or jreed@adn.com with the details.)

Fast Forward

Prep

Hockey

South v. Service at Ben Boeke, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

The rivals will face off for the second time this season in a CIC clash where the Cougars will be looking to avenge a 5-1 loss from last month and establish their first winning streak of the year while the Wolverines will be aiming to notch their fourth straight victory.

Wrestling

Region IV tournament at South High School, Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The postseason for the 2024 high school season will officially get underway this weekend with regional action across the state and here in town with the state tournament two weeks away. The Wolverines boys are favored to claim their 13th straight team title and the girls will try to defend their title after winning the first in program history last year.

College

Hockey

Augustana v. UAA at Alaska Sports Complex, Thursday and Friday at 7:07 p.m.

The Seawolves will be back home playing on their home ice for the final time this calendar year this week when they take on the Vikings in a two game series.

Last week’s results

High School

Wrestling

Tuesday

East 35, West 6 (girls)

East 42, West 30 (boys)

South 83, Service 0 (boys)

South 36, Service 24 (girls)

Soldotna 115, Nikiski 11 (boys/girls)

Chugiak 42, Eagle River 0 (girls)

Eagle River 42, Chugiak 25 (boys)

Dimond 24, Bartlett 12 (girls)

Dimond 51, Bartlett 23 (boys)

Redington 113, Houston 12 (boys/girls)

Wednesday

Delta 17, Student Wrestling Development Program 12 (boys/girls)

Lathrop 30, West Valley 23 (girls)

West Valley 60, Lathrop 22 (boys)

Thursday

Student Wrestling Development Program 42, Orting 10 (boys)

Orting 58, Student Wrestling Development Program 17 (boys)

Hockey

Tuesday

Palmer 10, Colony 7

Dimond 2, Wasilla 1

Wednesday

South 11, Bartlett 1

Chugiak 6, Dimond 1

Thursday

North Pole 3, Colony 2

Friday

Palmer 7, Soldotna 1

West 5, Eagle River 0

Saturday

Palmer 4, Kenai Central 1

Chugiak 9, Bartlett 2

Service 4, Dimond 1

Bowling

Monday

Boys

East 33, Service 2

East - Tristan Andrew 237

Service - Cyrus Varela 200

West 35, Eagle River 0

West - Jahdyn Odom 256

Eagle River - Trip Mattis 193

Dimond 33, Chugiak 2

Dimond - Tim Kiehn 171

Chugiak - Michale Nelson 133

Bartlett 20, South 15

Bartlett - Sean Yoon 222

South - Jack Wood 182

Girls

East 25, Service 10

East - Lina Phatthana 185

Service - Lillian Blumenberg 173

West 29, Eagle River 6

West - Kendall Bencid 131

Eagle River - Morgan Van Slyke 134

Dimond 24, Chugiak 11

Dimond - Jarriah Silverio 151

Chugiak - Abigail Lanehart 209

Bartlett 31, South 4

Bartlett - Kara Lyman 142

South Sharon Cho 120

Wednesday

Boys

Dimond 35, Bartlett 0

Dimond - Logan Jokela 300

Bartlett Sean Yoon 191

West 35, Chugiak 0

West - Jahdyn Odom 220

Chugiak - Michael Nelson 149

East 35, Eagle River 0

East - Damien Cruz 245

Eagle River - Benjamin Charlestream 177

Service 25, South 10

Service - David Kim 222

South - Jack Wood 196

Girls

Dimond 31, Bartlett 4

Dimond - Abigail Jokela 187

Bartlett - Kara Lyman 175

Chugiak 25, West 10

Chugiak - Kaitlyn Heaston 196

West - Kendall Bencid 145

East 27, Eagle River 8

East - Lina Phatthana 210

Eagle River - Morgan Van Slyke 134

Service 29, South 6

Service - Lillian Blumenberg 182

South - Sharon Cho 135

College

Women’s basketball

Thursday

UAA 78, Saint Martin’s 58

Western Oregon 82, UAF 73

Saturday

Saint Marin’s 105, UAF 71

UAA 108, Western Oregon 41

Men’s basketball

Thursday

Saint Martin’s 79, UAA 74

UAF 87, Western Oregon 72

Saturday

Saint Marin’s 71, UAF 63

UAA 71, Western Oregon 49

Hockey

Wednesday

UAA 4, Stonehill 1

Friday

Merrimack 4, UAA 2

Augustana 3, UAF 1

Saturday

UAA 3, Merrimack 1

UAF 2, Augustana 1

NAHL

Friday

Anchorage Wolverines 4, Wisconsin Windigo 1

Saturday

Anchorage Wolverines 5, Wisconsin Windigo 3