Avalanche ready to host Rage

PALMER — Of Alaska’s six losses this season, half have come by just one goal. When recalling each one of those losses, head coach Brian Huebel said he can look back and see significant chunks of time where his team’s energy level wasn’t near where it needs to be.

“We’ve got to be ready to play,” Huebel said Monday evening. “We have to put together 60 minutes (of hockey).”

Huebel will look for his squad to do exactly that when the Avs host the Dawson Creek Rage in the first contest of a three-game set Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Palmer Ice Arena.

“We need to come to play every night this weekend,” Huebel said.

Alaska (5-6-0) enters the series sitting in fourth place of the North American Hockey League West Division, while Dawson Creek (3-6-1) is tied with Fresno for fifth in the division.

Huebel said he sees similarities between his team and the Rage.

“This is a big weekend for us as far as points, record-wise,” Huebel said. “I think they’re right there too. They want to take the next step. These are two teams that feel they’re better than what their records are.”

Alaska skates into Thursday’s match on the heels of splitting a two-game series with Fresno last weekend at the Palmer Ice Arena. The Avs opened the set with a 5-3 win over the Monsters last Friday. The following night, Fresno jumped to a 3-0 lead held on for a 3-2 victory.

Jake Barber and Blake Huppert scored in the third period Saturday and the Avs out-shot Fresno 26-1 during the final frame, but the Monsters were able to sneak away with the victory.

Huebel praised his team for its play in the third period, but continues to call for more consistent play through three periods.

The Rage finished 1-1-1 during a three-game set with the Kenai River Brown Bears in British Columbia, Canada, last week. Dawson Creek sandwiched a 5-4 overtime win with a pair of 3-2 losses to the Bears.

The Avs made the trip to Canada late last month to play the Rage and grabbed a pair of wins during a three-game set.

Forward Page Carter leads the Rage in scoring with three goals and four assists. Forward Nolan Rossiter has three goals and three assists for Dawson Creek.

Alaska has three players at the top of its leader board. Barber (5-4-9), Andy Pearson (3-6-9) and Wehebe Darge (2-7-9) have nine points each. Barber and Seth Johnson lead the Avs with five goals.

Huppert recognized

Huppert was named the NAHL West Division Player of the Week after posting two goals and two assists during the two-game series against Fresno. He was also a +4 during the win on Friday.

“Blake had a phenomenal weekend,” Huebel said. “He really stepped up.”

Huebel said Huppert’s success could be due to something as simple as not over-thinking things on the ice.

“He’s such a puck control guy anyway, but he wasn’t trying to over-do things,” Huebel said. “He made the right decisions and put himself in good positions.”

Huppert has put together 3-3-6 totals and is averaging nearly a point in each one of his seven games. He’s also second on the squad with a +6 rating.

Last season, as an NAHL rookie, Huppert posted 13 goals and 21 assists in 53 games.

Affiliate impresses

in debut

Kyle Clapper, an Anchorage native who played at Dimond High School last year, enjoyed an impressive debut with the Avs, Huebel said.

Clapper was added to the roster as an affiliate player last week and appeared in both games of the Fresno series.

“He led our team in hits all weekend,” Huebel said, noting Clapper also had some quality chances on goal. “On the forecheck he was great, in the defensive zone he was good.”

Trevor Gutierresz, an Anchorage native who played at South last year, suited up during the series as Alaska’s emergency goalie.

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