New Era: UAA hockey signs first player since reinstatement

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Alex Gomez of the North American Hockey League’s New Mexico Ice Wolves ushered in a new era of the University of Alaska Anchorage hockey program as the first official signee since the Division I program was cut and then reinstated this fall.

“We are incredibly excited to be welcoming our first student-athlete Alex Gomez into the Seawolf hockey family,” Shasby said in a press release. “He portrays all the qualities we are looking to build our team around. He has excellent size (6-4, 185 lbs), high hockey IQ, and relentless work ethic. He also has high leadership qualities proven as he is currently serving as an assistant captain for his New Mexico NAHL team.”

Gomez, a Parker, Colorado-native, has skated in 115 games for the Tier II junior hockey team, collecting 16 goals and 30 assists for 46 points while manning the blue line for the Ice Wolves. Through 24 games of the 2021-22 season, the defenseman has tallied five goals and 13 assists, including four multi-point games.

While Gomez is the first official player to sign to UAA hockey, other skaters have verbally committed to the recently reinstated program. Eagle River product Brandon Lajoie announced his commitment to skate for his hometown University on Twitter Thursday.

Lajoie currently skates for St. Cloud Norsemen and played three seasons with the Kenai River Brown Bears from 2018-21. Davis Goukler, a 20-year-old defenseman for the NAHL’s Shreveport Mudbugs, also made his commitment to Seawolf hockey this week.

Shasby has his number one bench coach too, hiring Kevin Murdock as an assistant earlier this month. Shasby also confirmed to Alaska’s News Source that a number of games for the 2022-23 schedule have officially been signed as well. The pieces are starting to be put back together for the once dismantled program.

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