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The Alaska Nanooks’ defensive corps got deeper, and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association program added a promising two-way forward on Friday.

Defensemen Aaron Gens and Joe Sova, who are currently busy in their respective league’s playoffs, and right wing Justin Brossman signed National Letters of Intent, bringing the total to 12 players who are scheduled to join the Nanooks in the upcoming season.

Gens, 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, is skating with the Topeka RoadRunners against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs in the North American Hockey League’s South Division Final in Topeka, Kan. The Ice Dogs won 3-1 Friday to force a fifth and deciding game on Sunday at the Kansas Expocentre.

Gens has a goal and seven assists and plus-minus rating of +10 in seven postseason games. The native of Baudette, Minn., was Topeka’s second-leading scorer in the regular season with 12 goals and 58 points in 53 games and compiled a team-best +41.

Nanooks interim head coach Dallas Ferguson, in an University of Alaska Fairbanks press release, said that during recruiting, he constantly heard of two traits about Gens — intelligence and poise.

“He has the ability to run a power play from up top,” said Ferguson, “and we are very proud to be adding a player of Aaron’s ability and character to our program.”

Sova is playing with an Omaha Lancers squad that has a 2-0 lead over Nebraska rival Lincoln Stars in a United States Hockey League best-of-five Clark Cup semifinal series.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder from Berwyn, Ill., has a goal and an assist in six postseason contests, and during the regular season, he posted 7-11-18 totals and a +23 in 59 games with Omaha, his third USHL team. He skated with the Sioux City (Iowa) Musketeers last season and spent 2005-06 with the Waterloo (Iowa) Blackhawks and one of his teammates was Alaska defenseman Dustin Molle, who’s entering his junior season.

“Joe is a defenseman who has a knack to make good decisions with the puck,” Ferguson said. “He anticipates the play well and is able to find the best option when advancing the puck. He is an experienced junior hockey player and will add maturity to the back end.”

Sova and Gens help bolster an Alaska rear guard that lost four players from this past season’s 9-21-5 campaign.

Team captain T.J. Campbell and defenseman/center Brandon Gawryletz completed their eligibilities. Freshman Jeff Penner, an honorable mention selection on the CCHA All-Rookie Team, signed an entry-level contract with the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins and junior Tyler Eckford signed a two-way deal with the New Jersey Devils after he earned RBK Hockey First-Team All-America, All-CCHA First Team and CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman honors in his final collegiate season.

The 5-10, 185-pound Brossman contributed 27 points in 55 games this season for Sioux City, which included Nanooks recruit and defenseman Cody Butcher.

Brossman and Butcher, from Anchorage, were also teammates last season with the Vernon Vipers in the British Columbia Hockey League and Brossman, a right wing, prepped at Shattuck St. Mary’s in Fairbault, Minn., where in his senior season of 2005-06, he produced a career-best 70 points (35 goals and 35 assists) in 73 games. In his junior season, he helped Shattuck St.Mary’s capture a national title.

Ferguson said he was impressed by the forward’s tenacious forechecking when he first scouted him.

“However,” said Ferguson, “he won me over when he was on the ice with a minute left in a one-goal game, when he blocked two shots and won a race to a loose puck to run the clock out.

“He contributes to a game in areas that are important to any team’s success.”

Greentree in record OT game

Philadelphia Phantoms left wing Kyle Greentree, who led Alaska in scoring from 2004-07, had 17 shots in a 3-2, five-overtime victory over the Albany River Rats in the longest game in American Hockey League history.

The fifth game of the best-of-seven East Division semifinal series ended at 12:39 a.m. EDT Friday, five hours and 38 minutes after it began.