January 16, 2026 | Jacqueline Hixssen
ANCHORAGE, AK — Wolverines Nation brought the energy Friday night as Anchorage welcomed in-state rivals Fairbanks, pairing a loud crowd with a hard-fought performance on the ice.
Andrew Karkoc scored the lone regulation goal for the Wolverines, breaking through late in the opening frame to give Anchorage the early advantage.
Fairbanks answered late in the third period when Ian Christian—brother of longtime Wolverine Cole Christian and a former Wolverine himself—found the equalizer to force overtime.
The extra frame solved nothing, sending the rivalry matchup to a shootout. Chase Trompeter and Aiden Lawson converted their chances, lifting Anchorage to the shootout victory.
Between the pipes, Kai Weigel delivered a standout performance. The Wolverines netminder stopped 17 of 18 shots in regulation and overtime, allowing just one goal in the shootout to anchor the win.
With the result, both Anchorage and Fairbanks now sit tied at 14 points atop the Club 49 Cup standings.
Friday’s win also pulls the Wolverines within five points of fourth place, currently held by the Wisconsin Windigo, who were shut out 4–0 by the Springfield Jr. Blues earlier in the night.
Anchorage and Fairbanks close out the two-game series Saturday night at the Sullivan Arena. Purchase your tickets ONLY at tickets.anchoragewolverines.com
