Former Warrior standout helps junior team repeat as champs

WASILLA — Chancie Hanson is learning a lot about life at higher levels of hockey.

In his second season with the Junior A Tier III North Iowa Bulls of the North American 3 Hockey League, the 2012 Wasilla High graduate and former Warriors standout is now a veteran of the junior hockey grind. Playing in a 48-game regular season, as opposed to about two-dozen during the average high school season, Hanson has learned there’s more opportunity for peaks and valleys over the course of a long season. Recently, Hanson battled through a slump of his own. But the veteran defenseman rebounded and helped his North Iowa team win its second straight league title.

Hanson bagged an assist and finished with a plus-2 rating as he helped the Bulls beat the Flint Junior Generals 3-0 Sunday in the NA3HL championship game at the Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, Ill. With the win, the Bulls earned the chance to hoist the league’s top prize, the Silver Cup, and earned a ticket to the USA Hockey Tier III Junior Nationals, which start April 3 in Simsbury, Conn.

“I was in a bit of a slump there, but broke out, peaked at the right time,” Hanson said by cellphone Monday as he rode the team bus, headed for Connecticut.

Hanson, a 20-year-old blueliner, picked up the second assist on Wesley Iverson’s goal at the 7:54 mark of the third period, a score that gave North Iowa the commanding 3-0 lead. Hanson was on the ice for two of his team’s three goals, and helped North Iowa hold Flint to single digits in shots in each of the three periods.

Hanson finished with four assists in eight playoff games, and was a plus-2 overall. In four games during the league’s Silver Cup Tournament, Hanson had three helpers and was a plus-4. Hanson admitted he struggled early in the playoffs, but was able to make adjustments for the final push.

“It was kind of a weird deal. I had a great month of February, March came around I was kind of struggling,” Hanson said.

Hanson said he’s learned a lot about making it through a long season. With a 48-game regular season, and nine more during the playoffs, the Bulls have played a total of 57 games.

“After awhile you start running out of energy. You’ve got to start working smarter,” Hanson said.

Hanson enjoyed another solid season for the Bulls. Hanson started the year with the Kenai River Brown Bears of the Junior A Tier II North American Hockey League. Early in the season, Hanson found himself the odd-man out in Kenai River’s deep rotation of blueliners. It didn’t take Hanson long to land on another roster. The Bulls were fast to welcome Hanson back. He made his 2013-14 debut with the Bulls on Oct. 12, and enjoyed a three-assist effort against Breezy Point. He finished his second regular season with the Bulls with three goals and 30 assists in 30 games. He added a plus-57 rating to his 33 points and 22 penalties minutes.

All of his numbers skyrocketed from his first-year totals. As a NA3HL rookie in 2012-13, Hanson finished with modest 1-9-10 totals, with a plus-23 rating in 29 games.

“It felt really good,” Hanson said of his regular season.

Hanson enjoyed a fast start to his season, with at least a point in eight straight games. His scoring tapered off, but Hanson said he knows he’s not there to be a scorer.

“I’m trying to shape my game around being a solid defenseman,” Hanson said. “Do the simple stuff.”

Hanson spent a chunk of the season working on North Iowa’s top unit on the blue line. He’s been among the team’s top 4 defensemen throughout the year.

“We’re pretty solid on the back end,” Hanson said.

North Iowa finished the regular season 45-3-0, and led the league with 90 points in the NA3HL standings. With Hanson’s help on the back end, North Iowa allowed only 92 goals, the second-lowest total in the league. The Bulls were one of only two teams to allow less than 124 goals during the regular season.

Hanson said the experience of winning both the NA3HL Silver Cup and the Tier III national title last season helped the Bulls as they worked to defend their titles.

“We have the confidence. We know what it takes. We’ve been there,” Hanson said.

Hanson said the Bulls also know they’re the ones with the targets on them.

“We kind of embrace it,” he said.

The Bulls will also be carrying that confidence into the national tournament, which is slated for April 3-7. But Hanson said his team knows defending its title will be a challenge.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Hanson said.