Valley Grown: UNO-UAA hockey series features a pair of former Valley standouts

The University of Nebraska-Omaha hockey team will hit the ice at the Seawolf Sports Complex for a pair against UAA this week. The Division I Mavericks include a former Valley standout.

Josh Boyer, who was born in Wasilla and played two season with the Colony Knights, is a freshman for the Mavericks.

UAA hosts UNO Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. on UAA campus.

Boyer has skated in three of his team’s first four games of the 2019-20 season, and has logged a goal and an assist for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference program. In his debut Oct. 11, Boyer scored the first goal at the college level and his team’s first goal of the season during a 6-1 win over Alabama Huntsville. He added an assist the next night in a 5-0 win over UAH.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward moved with his family to the Lower 48 following his sophomore season at Colony High. As a sophomore, Boyer garnered first-team All-North Star Conference honors after leading the Valley with 50 points, 22 goals and 28 assists, in 25 games. Boyer graduated to junior hockey after his time with the Knights. He appeared in 20 games with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League during the 2016-17 season, and finished with a goal and assist. The following year, Boyer exploded for 27 goals and 31 assists in 58 games for the NAHL’s Brookings Blizzard.

Last season, Boyer played for both the Madison Capitols and the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League. He finished with 9 goals, 13 assists and 22 points in Madison and 5-3-8 totals with the Musketeers.

Boyer has not skated in an official game in Alaska since his time with the Ice Dogs.

Boyer is one of two Alaska products on the UNO roster. Isaiah Saville, a former West Anchorage star, is a freshman goaltender for the Mavericks.

The host Seawolves also feature a former Valley standout. Tanner Schachle is a sophomore for the Seawolves. The former Wasilla High standout scored his first goal of the 2019-20 season during a 4-0 win over UAF Oct. 26 in Anchorage. Schachle, a 6-foot-4 and 200-pound forward, has played in all four games this season for the 1-3 Seawolves. Schachle played in 28 games as a freshman, finishing with 2-4-6 totals.

Schachle is also a former Ice Dog, skating in Fairbanks for two seasons. He also played for the NAHL’s Kenai River Brown Bears and the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Schachle bagged 45 goals and 47 assists during 219 career junior hockey games.

Boyer and Schachle skated against each other in high school during the 2013-14 season.

Valley Grown is a regular feature highlighting the work of Valley athletes at the next level.

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.