Avs locked in final series of 2006-07 season

March 30, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz

Frontiersman

WASILLA - It's been a long season for the Alaska Avalanche.

The local Junior A hockey organization has endured injuries, trades and turnover of coaching staff.

Although the Avalanche missed their ultimate goal of earning a trip to the North American Hockey League playoffs for the second consecutive season, the Wasilla-based organization would like to cap the season with a positive note this weekend as the Avalanche conclude a three-game season-ending season with the Sante Fe RoadRunners.

&#8220We have to finish the season with some success,” interim coach Keith Morris said Thursday.

Alaska continues the series that started Thursday tonight and Saturday at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla.

The puck is set to drop at 7:30 p.m. each night.

Sante Fe, 39-16-4 in 59 games heading into Thursday night's action, is looking to hold onto it's second-place position in the NAHL's South Division.

St. Louis has already clinched the division title, and is expected to host fourth-place Fairbanks in the first round of the playoffs next month. But Sante Fe is just four points ahead of third-place Texas (36-18-6).

The Tornado, a team that features former Avalanche standout Brad McCabe, hosts St. Louis in a season-ending series in the Lone Star State.

Alaska (15-37-7) is 2-5 in seven games against the RoadRunners this season. The Avs have hosted Sante Fe twice, losing to the New Mexico-based squad, 3-2 and 7-2 in late December.

Sante Fe is anchored by the league's top goaltender, statistically. Nick Hopper sports a 29-12-3 record, with a 2.17 goals against average and .913 saves percentage.

The team also has one of the league's offensive weapons, forward Tibor Kutalek.

In 57 games, Kutalek has 40 goals - good enough for third in the league - and 29 assists.

His 69 points rank him ninth in the league in overall scoring.

The RoadRunners have four players with 40 or more points.

With three points during a five-game road series earlier this month, Victor Nordenson became the first Avalanche player to hit the 40-point mark this season.

Alaska's super Swede has a team-high 20 goals and 20 assists.

Forward Richard Leitner, who had four points in three games at Alexandria during that road trip, has a team-high 24 assists.

Nordenson is one of five players skating in their final series with the Avalanche organization. Nordenson, defensmen Todd Graham, forward Trevor Tolibas, defenseman Tully LaBelle-Hamer and forward Josh Erhardt each will surpass the age limit to play junior hockey after this season.

Graham has five assists in the 30 games on the blueline this year.

Erhardt, who has seen time at both forward and defense, has seven goals and 17 assists in 46 games.

Tolibas has six goals and 10 assists in 32 games.

And LaBelle-Hamer has one assist in 55 games.

Although the former Monroe Catholic standout has just one assist on the offensive end, he has been one of the Avs' most stable performers on the defensive end.

&#8220Tully has been around and played on a lot of different teams in a lot of different leagues. I think it's been good this year to come to play in a situation that's been kind of stable (for him),” Morris said. &#8220He's an outstanding student, and has a tremendous work ethic. His academics and work ethic have put him in a position to possibly play college hockey at some level next year.”

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