UAA Hockey releases 2022-23 independent schedule

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The University of Alaska Anchorage hockey team announced their independent schedule for the upcoming 2022-23 season.

After the Seawolves beloved hockey program was among four sports programs cut in Aug. 2020, the team was reinstated last August after fundraising efforts brought in millions of dollars.

The Seawolves announced a full season of 35 games that has the green gang traveling all around the country, something that can only be done as an independent team. The Seawolves are now an independent team because the league they used to play in — the Western Collegiate Hockey Association — ceased operations last year. UAA Head Coach Matt Shasby said that the independent schedule is something that they have used in trying to recruit the next generation of Seawolves.

“The overall college experience is what we are pushing on these kids is we are going to bus from Tempe to Las Vegas and we are going to stop at the Grand Canyon we are going to spend two days out in Long Island we are going to go to the Statue of Liberty we are going to go to Maine and eat some lobsters,” Shasby said. “So the plan is to present these kids with things that are going to develop them off the ice and make trips memorable that they are going to take with them beyond their years at UAA”

On Sept. 23, UAA will open the season at home against Simon Fraser with the annual green and gold game to follow on September 24. The season really hits the ice on October 1-2 when UAA will take on 2022 NCAA Tournament participant Western Michigan.

“Our schedule the first five, six weeks I would put it up against anybody in college hockey,” Shasby said.

The first matchup of the Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup it will take place up in Fairbanks Dec. 9-10, then swing right back down to Anchorage for games on Dec. 16-17.

Shasby said that the roster currently consists of 14 forwards, 8 defensemen and three goalies with 15 D1 transfer athletes.

“We have the potential I think to be older than a lot of teams in college hockey and almost every team in pro hockey,” Shasby continued, “It’s a roster with experience, it’s a roster built around guys that have that chips on their shoulder, that are looking for that second opportunity and I think we are going to surprise a lot of people with how competitive we are right away”