Valley Grown: Wasilla products help lead their teams to NAHL postseason

WASILLA — The Fairbanks Ice Dogs and Aberdeen Wings are two of the top teams in the North American Hockey League, and a Wasilla High product helped each squad skate into the postseason.

After winning their respective divisions during the regular season, Fairbanks and Aberdeen both start postseason play Friday.

Tanner Schachle, a former Wasilla standout, helped Fairbanks finish with a league-best 45 wins and 93 points in the standings this season. Schachle, a UAA commit, notched a team-high 24 goals and 27 assists in 59 games this season. His 51 total points are fifth on the squad. Schachle also scored a team-best 11 power play goals. In 168 career NAHL games, the 6-foot-3 forward has 41 goals and 41 assists.

Fairbanks, the Midwest Division champion, hosts the No. 4 seed from the division, the Minnesota Magicians, Friday and Saturday in Fairbanks.

Aberdeen, which won the Central Division, features Schachle’s high school teammate, forward Colton Fletcher.

In 59 games, Fletcher collected 20 goals and 21 assists. He scored eight times on the power play.

Aberdeen finished with 39 wins and 83 points in the standings. The Wings host fourth-seeded Minot in the first-round best-of-5 series on Friday and Saturday.

** Valley Grown is a regular feature highlighting the work of Valley athletes at the next level. Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.