Former Wasilla, Avs forward to play for DI Nanooks

WASILLA — Matthew Friese made a big decision at a young age.

Just 16 years old and a junior in high school, the former Wasilla standout verbally committed to play hockey at Alaska-Anchorage. But as he skated further into his junior hockey career, it became apparent to Friese he needed to explore his options and opportunities to live and play outside of his home state.

Now 19, Friese has had that chance. And as it turns out, Alaska is exactly where Friese wants to be. His new home will simply be a little farther north.

The former Wasilla High and Alaska Avalanche forward who now plays for the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League has committed to Alaska-Fairbanks and will play for the Division I Nanooks next fall.

“I’m beyond excited,” Friese said by phone from Lincoln, Neb., on Monday.

When he decommitted from UAA, Friese said he was going through what many Alaska kids his same age go through. He was 17 and wanted a taste of life Outside.

“With moving out of state, I think a lot of kids go through it. In high school, all you want to do is leave,” Friese said. “But I’ve been to a lot of places, lived in a lot of places and nowhere compares to Alaska.”

Friese, who skated three seasons with the North American Hockey League’s Alaska Avalanche before joining the Stars, said he’s been in contact with the Nanooks coaches for about two years.

“I’ve been talking with them for a while,” Friese said.

The first contact came right after he opted not to play for UAA. At that point he was set on playing college hockey Outside. But those feelings began to gradually change.

“It will nice to be home. I won’t be living in my own backyard, but my parents will be able to drive up for weekend games,” Friese said.

Friese said the program was also a great fit.

“It’s a really good program. They have a great coaching. Everyone I talk to say the coaching is unbelievable,” Friese said. “They’ve sent quite a few guys to the pro levels.”

Friese will also satisfy his goal of playing in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, something he’s always aimed to do. Alaska-Fairbanks currently competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, but will make the move to the WCHA for the 2013-14 season.

Friese said he was in contact with a number of schools before choosing Alaska-Fairbanks.

“I was talking to other schools around the country. I was talking to Anchorage, honestly,” Friese said. “I wanted to be in Alaska. (Alaska-Fairbanks’) offer was very generous. I felt like it was the right opportunity.”

Friese has collected seven goals and 15 assists for the Stars, who sit in second place of the USHL’s Western Conference. He has a plus-17 rating and is one of only five Stars to play in all 39 games this season.

Friese, with at least a point in 13 of his last 20 games, has enjoyed a great second half to the season.

“I kind of had a turning point in attitude,” Friese said. “That’s kind of how I got things going.”

Friese was a standout with the Avalanche. During his final year with the Valley team, the 2010-11 season, Friese averaged more than a point per game. He collected 23-18-41 totals and a plus-14 rating in 32 games. Friese finished the 2009-10 season third on the Avs with 43 points (19-24-43) in 56 games. He had 4-4-8 totals in 34 games as a rookie in 2008-09.

Friese began the 2010-11 season in the USHL, and played four games with Tri-City and 10 with Chicago before returning to the Avalanche.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound left wing is one of nine players committed to join Alaska-Fairbanks for the 2012-13 season, according to national recruiting databases. Four of those players are from Alaska. Former Lathrop High standouts and Fairbanks Ice Dogs players Alec Hajdukovich and Taylor Munson; and former North Pole standout and current USHL skater Jared Linnell have also committed to Nanooks program.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.