Avs continue to work toward goals

WASILLA — Jamie Smith is a realistic man.

The Alaska first-year head coach and general manager does know his young Avalanche squad is not ready to compete for the North American Hockey League title today.

He knows there is work to be done. But he also knows the potential is there.

Alaska fell behind early —allowing three goals in the first five minutes of a 4-1 loss to Wichita Falls last on Oct. 20 — but for two-thirds of a hockey game, Smith said his squad competed on the same level as a Wichita Falls squad that currently boasts an NAHL-best 11-2-1 record.

That contest could be a metaphor for the 2007 season. The Avs are not quite where they need to be, but Smith knows the team has the ability to get there.

“If we can compete with the top team, I feel pretty good,” Smith said. “We competed with them, but we need to progress and get better.”

The Avs dropped to 3-9-1 overall with the loss, and now sit right between the two teams they will face this weekend in the NAHL’s South Division standings.

Alaska hosts fourth-place Texas Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla, and sixth-place Kenai River Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Menard.

Texas sits in the middle of the South Division pack this year, but the Tornado have stood as a dominant franchise in the NAHL.

“They’ve been a perennial power for years,” Smith said of a Texas franchise that captured league titles in 2005 and 2006.

But Smith said the 2007-08 edition of the Tornado is tough to read, simply because Texas has yet to play a home game.

Following the NAHL Showcase in September, the Tornado visited both St. Louis, the defending NAHL champion, and Topeka. Their game at the Menard Arena will signal the end of a six-game road trip through Alaska.

Texas started its trip through the 49th state by losing two of three in Fairbanks, and the Tornado end a two-game series against Kenai River tonight in Soldotna.

By catching Texas, a team on the tail end of a long road trip, and Kenai, a squad with only two wins this season, Smith feels the Avs have a great opportunity to pick up some points.

Texas sandwiched a 2-0 win over Fairbanks with a pair of losses to the Ice Dogs last week. The Tornado suffered a 4-1 loss in the Interior on Oct. 19, and lost 3-2 in a shootout two nights later.

Meanwhile, Alaska dropped a two games to the Wichita Falls, the top team in the NAHL.

In the first game of the set, a 4-2 loss to the Wildcats, Alaska was out-shot 42-25, and 20-5 in the second period alone. But after skating into the second intermission , trailing 3-1, Alaska played even with the Wildcats in the third. Each squad had 11 shots and one goal.

Anchorage native David Peterson cut the score to 3-2 , scoring with 2 minutes and 22 seconds left in regulation. But less than a minute later, Wichita Falls added added an insurance goal to take the two-score

lead.

The following night, Wichita Falls beat Alaska starting goaltender Dusan Sidor three times in the first five minutes to take the early lead. Wichita Falls out-shot Alaska 17-5 in the first period, but after the Wildcats scored with 1:28 left in the first, the Avs kept Wichita Falls off the scoreboard.

Sidor was replaced by former South Anchorage standout Nathan Corey early in the first period, and Corey stopped 30 of 31 shots in relief.

“Nathan’s played outstanding,” Smith said.

Smith said Corey will start against Texas on Saturday.

Defenseman Kent Detlefsen put Alaska on the scoreboard in the third, posting his fifth goal in six games with the Avs. Forward Alex Rasmussen assisted on the play.

Alaska makes deals

Alaska completed a trio of deals this week, Smith said on Wednesday.

In it’s biggest deal, Alaska sent former captain Travis Stevens to Topeka in exchange for forward Joey Harren.

Stevens was among team leaders with 12 goals and 16 assists last season, but the second-year Avalanche forward has just one goal and one assist in 12 games this year.

“He needed a change of pace, we needed a change of pace,” Smith said.

Stevens’ first goal of the season did not come until a 4-2 loss to Wichita Falls on Oct. 19.

In Harren, a 5-foot-9 and 170-pound forward — Smith said the Avs are getting a hard working player who could be a fixture on the penalty kill.

“He lays it all out on the table, every time he goes to the rink,” Smith said.

Harren is scoreless in 12 games this season, and posted 11 points in 48 games last year.

Smith said he feels Alaska is a good fit for the Warrod, Minn., native.

“He likes Alaska; he’s been up here; he has family up here,” Smith said.

The Avs also get future considerations in the deal for Stevens.

Alaska also traded forward Michael Frei to the Eugene Generals of the NorPac Hockey League for defenseman John Strahle, a native of Anchorage and former Dimond High School skater.

In a third deal, Alaska sent defenseman Garrett Grimstead to Alexandria for a 2008 tender and a player to be named

later.

Smith said Grimstead failed to report to Alaska after he was acquired by the Avs in a trade with North Iowa on Oct. 3.