From UAA Days on The Field to Coaching a Professional Team with Matt Shasby and Derek Donald (Ep. 5)
Calling all SeaWolves fans and alumni!
After parting ways with the team many years ago, we want to shine light on the many accomplishments, life changes and hockey updates from our team around the globe.
In this episode, David Vallieres talks with Matt Shasby and Derek Donald. Coach Shasby shares some updates on the progression of his team going into the hockey season. Derek Donald shares more about his roots in the hockey industry, and how it has created a legacy for himself as a coach and scout.
David, Matt and Derek discuss:
- The challenges the team will be facing in December
- What he’s been up to personally and professionally since leaving UAA
- What it meant to him to be part of Seawolf Hockey Hall of Fame
- Favorite memories from his time at UAA
- And more
Connect With David Vallieres:
Connect With Matt Shasby:
- 907-786-1227
- mrshasby@alaska.edu
Connect With Derek Donald:
About Matt Shasby:
Coach Shasby is currently the vice president of player development for the state of Alaska and serves as a coach with the Anchorage Hockey Association. He has coached numerous age groups in addition to high school teams during his coaching career that started in 2009.
Shasby is a Seawolf alum who played in 127 games during his four-year career for the Seawolves from 1999 to 2003. He was an All-WCHA Second Team Defenseman and was named to the All-WCHA Academic Team three times.
Shasby went on to play professional hockey, appearing in 375 games, primarily with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. He has served as a volunteer with USA Hockey at numerous camps and coaching education programs.
Shasby earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Alaska Anchorage in 2008 and a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Phoenix. He currently teaches seventh and eighth grade social studies at Northern Lights ABC.
About Derek Donald:
As an Anchorage native, Derek Donald [1988-92] did more than welcome the pressure of playing in front of the hometown fans – he thrived under it. Aided by his 165 career points, the Seawolf hockey team racked up an 88-49-10 record, capturing three straight NCAA Tournament bids, a pair of Nissan/Jeep Classic titles, and the most victories in any 4-year span of UAA hockey history. Individually, Donald still holds the Seawolf career records for power-play (29) and short-handed (9) goals, and he ranks among UAA’s all-time top 10 in career goals (74, 4th), assists (91, 7th), and points (4th), plus season lists for goals (22 in 1990-91, t-9th), assists (36 in 1991-92, 3rd) and points (59 in ’91-92, 4th). But it was the team aspect of the game in which Donald truly excelled. The undersized winger from Service High was on the ice for some of the most historic moments in Seawolf history, delivering game-winning assists in the Nissan/Jeep Classic championship overtime win over British Columbia and in the first game of UAA’s stunning NCAA Tournament upset of Boston College.
As a sophomore, Donald delivered perhaps the most impressive offensive onslaught in school history when he had back-to-back hat tricks against Maine and Ohio State in victories at Sullivan Arena. As a senior he captained the Seawolves to a school-record 27 victories, including 13 in the final 15 games, to clinch yet another playoff berth. After his collegiate career, Donald attended training camp with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers and became a two-time East Coast Hockey League all-star with the Dayton Bombers. He later returned home to join the Anchorage Aces as both a player and executive, helping the franchise transition from an amateur team to the professional West Coast Hockey League, and eventually from the WCHL to the ECHL. Donald completed his bachelor’s degree in health science from UAA in 1995.
Although he remains one of the most recognizable faces in Alaska hockey, Donald currently resides just south of Calgary with his Girlfriend Colleen Pentelchuk and together they operate PD Ranch & Horses Changing Lives. Their 100-acre ranch boards 20-30 horses, they farm hay, operate an Equine Assisted Learning program, teach horsemanship & riding and team rope steers together. His daughter Megan is a Chemical Engineer in Oklahoma and son William is studying Sound & Recording Engineering in California.
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