Avs clinch home ice in first round of playoffs for the first time in franchise history

WASILLA — When the Alaska Avalanche hit the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena Saturday evening, the Avs needed to either score a win over the Kenai River Brown Bears or see the Fairbanks Ice Dogs lose to Wenatchee in the Interior to clinch home-ice advantage during the first round of the North American Hockey League playoffs.

Thanks to the Avs’ monster third period of their regular-season finale, it didn’t really matter what happened in Fairbanks.

Alaska scored three unanswered goals in the third to post the 7-4 win over the Brown Bears and lock up second place in the NAHL West and home ice during the opening round of the postseason.

The Avs entered the contest a point ahead of third-place Fairbanks in the West Division standings, and finished the regular season 32-19-7 with Saturday’s victory. The Ice Dogs, who suffered a lopsided loss to Wenatchee on Saturday, officially finish third with a 32-22-4 record.

Now the Avs will host the Ice Dogs in the first-round best-of-5 series.

“That’s huge,” said defenseman Jake Parenteau, who scored the game-winner on Saturday. “We definitely play a lot better in our barn against Fairbanks.”

This is the first time the team will host a playoff series in the five-year history of the Wasilla-based Junior A franchise.

Alaska trailed Fairbanks by three points heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Parenteau said, without a doubt, the Avs knew they had to beat Kenai on both nights and not let anything to chance.

“We (had) to sweep,” Parenteau said. “That was definitely in our minds.”

A 7-3 Avalanche win over Kenai coupled with Fairbanks’ 4-1 loss to Wenatchee on Friday allowed the Avs to jump the Ice Dogs in the standings, and Alaska’s win on Saturday sealed it for the Avs.

Former Wasilla High School standout Matthew Friese posted two goals and two assists to help his hometown team make franchise history. Friese gave Alaska the 2-0 lead in the first and assisted on Alaska’s first two goals of the third period. The UAA-bound forward capped the win with an empty-netter during the final minute of regulation.

Alaska took the quick 2-0 lead in the first. Zach Smith, who scored twice during the first quarter, gave the Avs the 1-0 lead 6:28 into play. Friese, who was a +5 in the win, scored three minutes later. Smith scored his second goal of the game, his team-high 30th of the year, with four minutes to play in the first.

Defenseman Trent Johnson recorded an unassisted tally midway through the second, but Kenai River scored three second-period goals to tie the game at 4-4. Trace Strahle, who played briefly for the Avs earlier in his junior career, scored with four minutes left in he second to knot the score at 4.

Kenai River outshot the Avs 37-33, but Alaska goalie Landon Peterson stopped 33 shots to earn the win in the Alaska net.

For more on the schedule for the first-round of the playoffs, see the Tuesday edition of the Frontiersman.

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

Alaska 7, Kenai River 4

Saturday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Alaska- Smith (Scott, T. Johnson) 6:28; 2. Alaska- Friese (Mahailovich, Hildebrandt) 9:38; 3. Kenai River- Skinnars (Bayagich, Kinnebrew) pp 13:33; 4. Alaska- Smith (T. Johnson, Pichler) 16:27.

Second period — 5. Kenai River- Bennett (Beck, Bayagich) pp 7:48; 6. Alaska-T. Johnson (unassisted) 8:53; 7. Kenai River- Beck (Bayagich) 10:51; 8. Kenai River- Strahle (unassisted) 16:04.

Third period — 9. Alaska- Parenteau (Friese) 7:54; 10. Alaska- S. Johnson (Friese) 10:11; 11. Alaska- Friese (Scott, Maly) en 19:22.

Shots on goal: Kenai River 8-19-10—37, Alaska 10-12-13—35; Saves: Kenai River- Martin 7-11-10—28, Alaska- Peterson 7-16-10—33; Power plays: Kenai River 2-for-4, Alaska 0-for-4.