Avs continue scoring surge

WASILLA — Thanks to a 16-goal effort during a two-game series against the Kenai River Brown Bears at the Soldotna Sports Center in Soldotna over the weekend, the Alaska Avalanche is currently the top offensive team in the North American Hockey League.

Alaska scored seven times during the opening game of the series and followed with a 9-3 rout. In each win, a number of Alaska skaters factored into the scoring.

“We got some scoring from all four lines tonight,” Alaska head coach Dave Boitz told the Frontiersman after the Avs’ 7-4 win on Friday. “When you get it from everywhere, that’s a big deal.”

Ten different players scored a goal in the series and 16 had at least one point. Five players had points in both games of the series.

Defenseman Jason Cohen scored a pair of goals to lead Alaska to the 9-3 win on Saturday. The Anchorage native gave the Avs the 7-1 lead with an unassisted tally late in the second, and midway through the third Cohen scored Alaska’s ninth goal of the game.

Tyler Currier, Zach Smith, Adam Friese, Jay Baldwin, Kyle Pichler and Jake Parenteu also scored for the Avs, who improved to 8-2-0 with the win.

Thanks to the 16 goals in two games, Alaska is now averaging a league-high 4.6 goals per game.

With 46 goals in 10 games, the Avs are one of only three teams averaging at least four goals per game.

Topeka is currently averaging 4.1 goals per game and two-time defending Robertson Cup champion St. Louis is at 4.0 goals per contest.

The wins also allowed Alaska to stay close to Fairbanks at the top of the NAHL North Division standings.

The Ice Dogs, who were 2-0-1 during a three-game series against Wichita Falls in the Interior over the weekend, are in first place with 17 points, but the Avs are just one point behind.

Alaska will have an opportunity to leap the Dogs in the standings this weekend. The Avs host Kenai River for a pair at the Menard Arena, and the Ice Dogs are off for the weekend.

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

Alaska 9, Kenai River 3

Saturday, Soldotna Sports Center

First period — 1. Alaska- Currier (unassisted) 0:45, 2. Alaska- Smith (Currier) 16:41, 3. Kenai River- Clay (Kiel, Simson) pp 18:33, 4. Alaska- A. Friese (Jones, Baldwin) 19:23.

Second period — 5. Alaska- Baldwin (Jones) 3:56, 6. Alaska- Pichler (unassisted) 8:39, 7. Alaska- McNeely (unassisted) 12:19, 8. Alaska- Cohen (unassisted) 17:41, 9. Kenai River- McGlasson (Simson, Goodmanson) pp 19:43.

Third period — 10. Alaska- Parenteu (unassisted) sh 0:28, 11. Alaska- Cohen (Smith, Kowal) 5:02, 12. Kenai River- Fusaro (Sullivan, Simson) 16:16.

Shots on goal: Alaska 12-21-17—50, Kenai River 13-21-12—46; Saves: Alaska- Maginnis 12-20-11—43,; Kenai River- Dries 9-17-15—41; Power plays: Alaska 0-for-4, Kenai River 2-for-8; Penalties: Alaska 10-for-33, Kenai River 8-for-19.