Avalanche return to Wenatchee to face league-leading Wild

WASILLA — The Alaska Avalanche didn’t just get back into the win column with a pair of victories over the Kenai River Brown Bears in Soldotna last week, the Avs got their win vengeance.

The Avs scored 13 goals in two games to record the series sweep and snap a five-game losing skid.

“They were really getting after it,” Alaska head coach Dave Boitz said.

Today, the Avs start another key road series against the Wenatchee Wild in Wenatchee, Wash. The puck drops at 6:05 p.m. AST, and the series continues on Saturday at 6:05 p.m.

More than a dozen players factored into Alaska’s explosion of goals during the series. Twelve player scored goals and 15 picked up at least one point during the weekend.

“It was nice to get scoring from everywhere,” Boitz said.

Second-year forward Logan Rounds led the Avs with four points (3 goals, 1 assist) in the series. That came after a 10 game stretch in which Rounds tallied just a single point. Rounds was also a +4 against Kenai.

Second-year forward Robb Haider (0-4-4), also finished the weekend with four points.

Forward Zach Smith (2-1-3) and defenseman Daniel Hildebrandt (1-2-3) also had three points each during the series.

Kenai has spent much, if not all, of the season in the North American Hockey League West Division cellar, but Boitz said the Brown Bears are a much improved squad.

Earlier in the month, Kenai traveled to Fairbanks and completed a three-game sweep of the Ice Dogs at the Big Dipper Ice Arena. Before its 3-2 win over the Dogs on Jan. 14, Kenai River had never beat Fairbanks on the road in the history of the Brown Bears organization.

“They’ve improved dramatically,” Boitz said of the Brown Bears.

Tonight, the Avs will play a team that everyone has been chasing. Wenatchee continues to lead the NAHL with a 33-7-3 mark and 69 points in the standings.

Alaska currently sits in the third slot of the West with a 19-12-6 record and 44 total points.

Forward Jeff Jubinbville leads the Wild with 39 points (19-20-39). Kyle Brodie is the leader on the blue line with 10 goals, 22 assists and a +23 rating.

Smith now leads the Avs in scoring with 29 points (17-12-29).

Kyle Pichler (7-20-27), Jake Parenteau (11-15-26) and Berkley Scott (13-12-25) have all hit the 25-point mark.

After nearly two months on the road, the Avs will return to the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena to host the Brown Bears Feb. 4-7.

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