Nanooks Win New Cup, Secure Bright Future

0:00From Anchorage, this is your March 11th update. The University of Alaska Fairbanks hockey team, known as the NUX, ended the 2025-2026 season with two big wins. They claimed the Alaska Airlines Governors Cup and became the first champions of the United Collegiate hockey cup. This all happened during their 100-year anniversary celebration for the program. As the top seed in the new tournament, the NUX beat the Lyndon Wood Lions 4-3 in the final. They also took down the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves to win the Governor's Cup for the 15th time. The team finished with a 15 wins, 15 losses, and three ties record. Coach Eric Largen called it an incredible second half of the year. He said it brought real closure for the seniors, especially after coming so close to the NCAA tournament a couple years back without a trophy. Alumni showed up to join the celebration, too. Being independent Division I teams without a conference makes the road to Nationals tough. This new cup for independence gives them a better shot through the new qualifying system.

1:04Largen sees it as a strong first step. With five teams in the event and more independence joining, there's real momentum building. The coach expects partnerships to grow among these squads. Community support remains solid, setting up a bright future for NUX hockey as they head into the next 100 years. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor. See the episode description. Headphones in the pillow, simple idea, surprisingly addictive, S-O-L-I-S-O-L-Pillow.com.