Alaska Avs use a pair of late scores to upset league’s top squad

TOPEKA, Kan. — Dave Boitz has known the Alaska Avalanche have the potential to play with, and beat, the best the North American Hockey League has to offer.

On Wednesday, the Avs proved their head coach right.

Defenseman Jake Parenteu scored a pair of third-period goals and netminder Dylan Woodring posted 38 saves to lead the Avalanche to a 3-2 win over the league-leading Topeka RoadRunners at the Kansas ExpoCentre in Topeka, Kan.

“We’ve been right in there a lot with the top teams,” Boitz said by phone Thursday afternoon, while noting his team’s victories over top teams such as Topeka, Fairbanks, Traverse City and the United States National Team Developmental Program this season.

Boitz said a difference between the play of the Avalanche and that of the upper echelon of the NAHL this team has been consistent goaltending.

“We have not had as good of goaltending,” Boitz said. “But we got some good goaltending, which is key. (Woodring) didn’t have to make a bunch of unbelievable saves, but he was super solid.”

Alaska grabbed an early lead and Woodring posted double-digit saves totals in each period as the Avs improved to 20-24-2.

Former Service High School standout Logan Rounds gave the Avs the 1-0 lead at the 12:12 mark of the first period.

Topeka scored twice during the final 2:02 of the second to take a 2-1 lead into the third, but Parenteu used a slap shot and a wrister to give the Avs the win.

The blueliner put a big slap shot by Topeka goalie Lyle Rocker midway through the period to tie the score at 2-2.

Parenteu beat Rocker high with a wrist shot with just less than three minutes left in regulation.

“He had two really nice goals,” Boitz said.

With his two goals, Parenteu now has five points in his last six games, and nine goals and nine assists in 36 games this season.

“He’s super offensive for a defenseman,” Boitz said. “This is his first year in this league, but he’s coming into his own.”

Parenteu’s nine goals rank him second in the NAHL in goals by a defenseman.

Parenteu provided the offense — and as part of the Avalanche back line — helped keep a potent Topeka attack scoreless during the third.

The Avs killed three Topeka power-plays, including a short 5-on-3 chance early in the period, and Woodring came up big with 12 saves in the third.

“It was a total team effort. We played more physical than the night before,” Boitz said, comparing his team’s work during the win to Alaska’s 5-3 loss to Wichita Falls on Tuesday. “We did a good job killing penalties, and collapsing around the goalie to prevent a lot of extra chances.”

With the victory, Alaska hit 20 wins for just the second time in its franchise history, and has the chance to add to that total with to more games in Topeka.

The RoadRunners host the Avs tonight and Saturday at the Kansas ExpoCentre. Both games start at 4:05 p.m. AST.

The Avs return home next week and will play four games at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena during a five-day stretch. Alaska hosts Wenatchee on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Alaska 3, Topeka 2

Wednesday; Kansas ExpoCentre, Topeka, Kan.

First period — 1. Alaska- Rounds (Belisle) 12:12.

Second period — 2. Topeka- Hagaman (Paulazzo, Shafer) 17:58, 3. Topeka- Hartmann (Marx, Swank) 19:06.

Third period — 4. Alaska- Parenteu (Giles) 11:08, 5. Alaska- Parenteu (Belisle, Friese) 17:22.

Shots on goal: Alaska 9-6-6—21, Topeka 12-16-12—40; Saves: Alaska- Woodring 12-14-12—38, Topeka- Rocker 8-6-4—18; Power plays: Alaska 0-for-5, Topeka 0-for-5; Penalties: Alaska 5-for-10, Topeka 5-for-10.

Wildcats win rubber match

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — The Wichita Falls Wildcats scored twice during the final 12 minutes of the third period to secure a 5-3 win over the Alaska Avalanche at the Kay Yeager Coliseum in Wichita Falls, Texas, on Tuesday.

Alaska posted the early lead, thanks to a Thomas Erlacher power play goal less than two minutes into the first, and came back from a 3-1 second-period deficit, but Augie Hoffmann and Adam Kuhn scored in the third to seal the win for the Wildcats.

Nardo Nagtzaam scored shorthanded to tie the score at 2-2 midway through the second and Kyle Pichler scored to tie the game at 3-3 early in the third.

Wichita Falls 5, Alaska 3

Tuesday; Kay Yeager Coliseum

First period — 1. Alaska- Erlacher (Cohen, McNeely) pp 1:54, 2. Wichita Falls- Kuhn (Rourke, Hudson) 11:11.

Second period — 3. Wichita Falls- Rourke (Shost, Kuhn) pp 1:30, 4. Wichita Falls- Kuhn (McKenzie, Heinz) 4:23, 5. Alaska- Nagtzaam (unassisted) sh 11:39.

Third period — 6. Alaska- Pichler (Parenteu) 1:02, 7. Wichita Falls- Hoffman (Karlsson) 8:34, 8. Wichita Falls- Kuhn (Brown, McKenzie) en 19:18.

Shots on goal: Alaska 10-8-9—27, Wichita Falls- 10-18-10—38; Saves: Alaska- Pellegrino 9-16-8—33, Wichita Falls- Graveline 9-7-8—24; Power plays: Alaska 1-for-3, Wichita Falls 1-for-3; Penalties: Alaska 5-for-13, Wichita Falls 5-for-13.