Head Coach Dave Shyiak
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Shyiak led the Seawolves to a seven-game improvement last season - his second behind the bench at UAA - while overseeing the first winning season on home ice (9-8-1) in five years. UAA also claimed the Nye Frontier Classic title and Alaska Airlines's Governor's Cup title in 2006-07, marking the first time the Seawolves have accomplished both in the same season. Shyiak's second season was also highlighted by home sweeps over rival Alaska Fairbanks and league foe North Dakota.
Alaska Anchorage came withing one game of advancing to the 2007 Red Baron WCHA Final Five last season, eventually falling to No. 2-ranked Minnesota in three games during the first round of the league's playoffs.
Introduced as the fourth head coach in program history on June 14, 2005, Shyiak earned his first-ever head coaching victory with a 6-3 triumph at home over Rensselaer on Oct. 14, 2005. His first Western Collegiate Hockey Association win also occurred on home ice with a 2-0 blanking of Minnesota Duluth on Nov. 19, 2005.
Under Shyiak's guidance the Seawolves have had 17 student-athletes earn recognition on the All-WCHA Academic eam.
Prior to coming to UAA, Shyiak was an assistant at his alma mater, Northern Michigan University, for 10 seasons, including three as associate head coach.
At NMU, Shyiak helped the Wildcats to seven 20-win seasons, six Central Collegiate Hockey Association tournament berths and one NCAA tournament appearance. Northern Michigan was a member of the WCHA during his first three seasons as an assistant.
Shyiak served as the head coach of the North American Select Team in 2000 and 2001, guiding the squad to silver-medal finishes both seasons at the World 'Junior A' Hockey Tournament in Tampere, Finland.
Prior to his stint at his alma mater, Shyiak was general manager and head coach of the Merritt Centennials of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League (1994-95) and head coach of the Kimberley Dynamiters of the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League (1993-94). Shyiak led Kimberley to both the regular season title and the playoff title while also garnering Coach of the Year honors.
He began his coaching career as a student assistant at NMU under Rick Comley in 1992-93, helping guide the Wildcats to a NCAA berth.
A co-captain on Northern Michigan's 1991 NCAA Championship team, Shyiak also claimed two WCHA Tournament titles (1989 and 1991) and one WCHA regular-season title (1991) as a player and earned WCHA All-Academic Team accolades. He earned a Bachelors of Science in Physical Education from Northern Michigan University in 1993 and a Masters degree in Training and Development in Human Performance from NMU in 2007.
Shyiak and his wife Lucia are the parents of two sons - Kristian (4) and Sheldon (3).
