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FAIRBANKS — The Alaska Nanooks have one fortune following another.

The 17th-ranked Nanooks captured the title in their second annual Brice Alaska Goal Rush on Saturday with a 1-1 tie against the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers at the Carlson Center. The Nanooks finished as the only unbeaten squad in the tournament, as they also won 4-2 Friday over the Robert Morris Colonials.

Today marks the start of a week off for the 3-0-1 Nanooks, giving them extra preparation for Central Collegiate Hockey Association play, which begins for Alaska against the Ferris State Bulldogs on Oct. 30-31 at the Carlson Center.

“It’s a work in progress and we found out a lot about where we are and the guys we have in the lockerroom,” Alaska assistant coach Lance West said during Saturday’s postgame media conference.

West was alluding to the Nanooks rallying for the tie against RPI with sophomore defenseman Joe Sova’s power-play slap shot with 1:36 left in the third period. Senior center and Goal Rush most valuable player Dion Knelsen added a backhand tally for the lone conversion of a shootout that followed a scoreless overtime period.

The tie, though, had sealed the Alaska’s first title in its own tournament because of the tournament standings. The Nanooks had three points with a win and a tie; the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves and the Robert Morris Colonials each had two points with a win apiece and RPI gained one point with Saturday’s tie.

“We’ll sit back Monday and evaluate that,” West said of the Nanooks’ tournament performance. “I don’t think we’ve really sat down and planned (this week’s practices) out, but the guys have to feel good from top to bottom. We’ve had contributions from 20-plus guys, not just two or three.”

The Nanooks have gotten points from 18 of the 22 skaters who have played this season, and sophomore goaltender Scott Greenham is 3-0-1 on the season and unbeaten in his career (6-0-2).

Alaska’s defense is tied with Ferris State’s for first place in NCAA Division I after allowing a goal per game. The Nanooks’ 100-percent effective penalty kill (13-for-13) ranks among the top in D-I with defending national champion Boston University, CCHA rival Michigan and North Dakota, whom the Nanooks meet in next year’s Kendall Hockey Classic at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

2010 tournaments

Besides the North Dakota Fighting Sioux of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, the Nanooks will also open the season next Oct. 8-9 in Anchorage against the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology Tigers.

Kendall Hockey Classic host UAA will also play RIT and North Dakota.

Then on Oct. 15-16 at the Carlson Center, the Nanooks and Seawolves take on the Colorado College Tigers of the WCHA and the Union (N.Y.) Dutchmen of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference in the third annual Brice Alaska Goal Rush.

Contact staff writer Danny Martin at 459-7586.