Colony grad set to play in UAA-UAF hockey alumi game

ANCHORAGE — Former Colony hockey standout Dirk Menard will be on the ice Saturday for the first UAA-UAF hockey alumni game.

Menard, who stood in the Alaska-Fairbanks net during the 1999-00 season, is one of 25 former Nanooks slated to take on the UAA alumni Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. The game is part of the weekend festivities for the Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup, the annual showdown between UAA and UAF, and is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m.

The contest is a cooperative effort, hosted by the UAA Seawolf Hockey Alumni and the Alaska Fairbanks Nanook Alumni Association.

Menard, a former CHS and UAF goalie, is part of a Nanook alumni squad that features former UAF standouts such as Keith Street and Dallas Ferguson.

Street led UAF with 83 points (37 goals, 46 assists) during the 1987-88 season. He also played eight years of professional hockey with the Anchorage Aces, topping the 100-point mark during four straight seasons.

Ferguson, who tallied 104 career points in four years at UAF, is currently the Nanooks bench boss. Nanooks assistant Corbin Schmidt is also scheduled to play.

Anchorage area products Jack Kowal, Todd Christenson, Chris King and Merit Waldrop, and Eagle River’s Matt Shasby are among the 19 players currently on the UAA alumni team.

Menard, who also played a season for the North Iowa Huskies of the United States Hockey League, is one of a number of former Valley players to skate for UAF.

The list includes Wasilla graduates Brian Fish, Jamie Smith, Wade Schachle, Trent Schachle and Craig Worrell; Palmer graduate Forrest Gore; and Colony graduate Jake Flora.

Former Wasilla standout Matt Friese is currently a member of the Nanooks.

Tentative rosters:

UAF — Keith Bartusch, Lou Bassler, Derek Bradish, Cody Butcher, Mark Cotter, Billy Crumm, Dallas Ferguson, Dennis Gould, Pat Hallett, Chris Hodges, Trevor Hyatt, Sandy Imlach, Efren Larranaga, Derek Linnell, John Lovdahl, Scott McIlory, Dirk Menard, Andy Mumford, Ryan Muspratt, Nathan Rocheleau, Corbin Schmidt, Keith Street, Darren Tiemstra, Pat Williams, Lenny Zaiser.

UAA — Todd Bethard, Peter Cartright, Todd Christenson, Jim Dahl, Jeff Edwards, Mark Filpenko, Chris King, Jack Kowal, Brian Kraft, Eric Lawson, Chris Pont, Michael Scott, Matt Shasby, Regg Simon Dean Turboyvich, Merit Waldrop, Matt Williams, Paul Williams, Gregg Zapporzan.