59 Teams in 59 Days Alaska-Fairbanks

The next stop on the 59 Teams in 59 Days tour is in Fairbanks, where the Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks are featured.

Head Coach Tavis MacMillan is entering his third season. In two years he took Alaska-Fairbanks from never winning a playoff series in the CCHA to winning two playoff series in two years with the Nanooks. In his first year MacMillan and the Nanooks went to the Joe Louis Arena. Last year the Nanooks won a first round series against Notre Dame before losing to Michigan State in a wild three game series.

MacMillan can expect a lot from his team this year as the Nanooks will look to continue the tradition of winning in the CCHA post season.

Though Fairbanks only scored 92 goals last year, the defense helped out. Even though the Nanooks only gave up more goals than they scored, the defense was the strong point of the team. Only one defensemen is graduating from last year so look out this defense can be one of the strongest defense's in the CCHA.

The goaltending situation from last year is solved as Junior Wylie Rogers, who recorded four shutouts last year, will most likely be the starting goaltender.

The top three scorers from last year will return as Junior Left Winger Kyle Greentree (the teams leading scorer), Senior Center Curtis Fraser (the teams leading goal scorer), and Junior Forward Aaron Lee will be the focal point of the Nanooks offense.

This Alaska Fairbanks team wont lay down for anyone this year, they are for real. Their predicted ceiling is fourth in the CCHA while the gutter is eighth. The CCHA will be a very tough conference so anything can change.

Tommorrow the 59 Teams in 59 Days tour continues, with a stop in Springfield, Massachusetts as the American International Yellow Jackets will be featured.