Avalanche climb to third place in South standings

WASILLA — The Alaska Avalanche are in a bit of unfamiliar territory. The Avs sit in third place of the Southern Division of the North American Hockey League.

Alaska improved to 7-11-1 overall and boosted its point total to 15 with a 3-1 win over the Bismarck Bobcats on Tuesday.

“It’s big,” Alaska head coach and general manager Jamie Smith said Thursday. “We’ve never been in this position. In the last three years, we’ve been in a battle for the last two spots.”

Alaska is 4-2 in its last six, and the Avs will look to improve that mark during a two-game set against the Kenai River Brown Bears. The Avs’ series against their intrastate rival starts tonight at the Soldotna Sports Center. The first puck is set to drop at 7 p.m.

The series marks the first of seven straight games against the Brown Bears. Following the two-game set on the Peninsula this weekend, the Bears travel to Wasilla for a pair at the Menard Arena. In two weeks, the teams will play three times over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Smith said his team’s rise in the division standings has given his team a lift.

“The kids are pretty confident,” Smith said.

This weekend the Avs face a Kenai team that has enjoyed modest success as of late. The Brown Bears swept a two-game series against Bismarck last week, and are now 5-11-2 overall. Kenai’s 12 points still leave the Bears in the South Division cellar, but within reach of fifth-place Texas (14 points) and the two teams tied with 15 points, Alaska and Topeka.

Although the Bears are just 18 games into their first season as an expansion franchise, Smith said Kenai River is worth worrying about.

“Their really skilled,” Smith said. “I’m nervous to play them on that big ice.”

The Soldotna Sports Center houses the big sheet of ice used in international competition, as opposed to the standard-sized rink of the Menard Arena.

The Bears are led offensively on that big sheet by twins Jeffrey and Kevin Harris. The Harris brothers have combined for 10 goals and 21 assists in 17 games. Forward Nick Simson has a team-high nine goals.

Goaltender Steven Madej has seen much of the action for the Bears, and is 5-7-0 with a 406 goals against average in 12 games this season.

To combat the Bears’ skill on the big ice, Smith said the Alaska coaching staff will have to put together their fastest group of players.

That group should include Anchorage native Kyle Pichler who has scored a goal in each of the last three weekends for the Avs.

Pichler was one of three players hailing from the 49th state to score in the win over Bismarck on Tuesday. Anchorage natives J.J. Waldrop and Tyler Currier also scored.

Defenseman Kent Detlefsen continues to lead the Avalanche in scoring. The blueliner has eight goals and six assists in 11 games. Wasilla native Jeremiah Dargis has a point in each of his last four games, and is second on the squad with 12 points (5-7-12).

Alaska splits with

Bismarck

The Avs used a 3-1 win on Monday to force a split against the Bobcats.

Waldrop, with an assist from Willow’s Sean Ranum, gave the Avs the 1-0 lead just 3 minutes and 19 seconds into the game.

Currier scored on the power play to lift the lead to 2-0, and Pichler iced the win with another power-play goal in the third period.

Dusan Sidor stopped 38 shots to record the win in goal.

The win was preceded by a 6-2 loss to the Bobcats.

Bismarck led 6-0 before Dargis and Ryan Schmidt scored in the third. Dargis’ goal came while the Avs were shorthanded.

Avs acquire forward

Smith made another move to add experience to his lineup with the acquisition of forward Dustin Skinner last week.

Skinner was acquired from Southern Minnesota.

Skinner, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound native of Andover, Minn., skated in 48 career games with the Express.

He posted four goals and four assists in 37 games last season, and added five points in 12 playoff games.

In just 11 games with Southern Minnesota this season, Skinner had already met his total from the 2006-07 regular season.

“He’s a big kid with a lot of experience,” Smith said. “He’s another veteran forward who can put away pucks and forecheck.”

In the last month Smith has added forward Joe Harren, defenseman Kent Detlefsen and forward Scott Bererra to the Alaska roster.

Harren has two points in four games, Berrerra has six points in 10 games and Detlefsen is Alaska’s leading scorer with 14 points in 11 games.

Smith said the Avs are looking for at least one more defenseman to replace David Peterson. The Anchorage native has left the team to pursue other opportunities outside of hockey, Smith said.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.