Avs look to continue momentum against Brown Bears

Frontiersman

WASILLA — Prior to Alaska’s two-game split with the Kenai River Brown Bears last week, head coach Dave Boitz set a goal for the Avalanche.

In 15 games, Boitz wanted to see his Avs come out with at least a 10-5-0 record. By winning about 66 percent of those games, Boitz and his coaching staff feel the Avs would have a great shot to jump into the second spot of the North American League West Division.

Now, after that split, Boitz and the Avs are looking for at least nine wins during the next 13 games.

“We’re working hard to get into that No. 2 spot,” Boitz said of the Avs, who currently sit in fourth with 25 points and a 12-18-1 record.

Alaska will have another opportunity to move up the standings this weekend during a two-game series against Kenai River, which is slated to start on Saturday at the Soldotna Sports Center in Soldotna.

Kenai is third in the West with 28 points and a 12-21-4 record.

The intrastate rivals capped last weekend’s set with Alaska’s 3-2 shootout win. Despite just five goals scored in more than 65 minutes worth of hockey, the game didn’t lack offense. Both teams topped the 50-shot mark and the teams combined for 103 shots in the game.

“It was one of the better games of the year,” Boitz said. “played hard by both teams.”

Boitz hopes the Avs will continue that level of play this weekend.

“We’ve got to go get after it,” Boitz said.

Alaska posted the victory despite missing four key parts to the regular lineup. Defenseman Sean McNeely and forwards Kyle Pichler, Tyler Currier and Jason Cohen missed the game to participate in the NAHL Top Prospects Showcase in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Kenai River was also missing players who were competing in the Showcase.

Boitz said not having McNeely and Cohen — a player who also skates on the back line — could have contributed to Kenai’s shot total.

The Avs have fared well against their neighbor, posting an 8-4-0 record against Kenai River this season, but only have two more opportunities to gain pivotal points against a team they are chasing in the standings.

Alaska does still have eight games remaining against each of the top two teams in the division, first-place Fairbanks (24-8-4, 52 points) and Wenatchee (15-12-2, 32 points). Wenatchee, a first-year NAHL franchise,

continued its surge earlier this week by sweeping Topeka, the top team in all of the NAHL, in a two-game series.

Following its series in Kenai — the Avs play the Brown Bears Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Soldotna Sports Center — Alaska will have five straight at home. That stretch starts with a three-game series against the Wichita Falls Wildcats. Alaska will host Wichita Falls on Jan. 30-Jan. 31 and again on Feb. 3.

Alaska forward stands out in Showcase

Alaska forward Kyle Pichler scored his second goal of the three-day NAHL Top Prospects Showcase on Tuesday. Pichler, one of four Alaska players skating for the West Division All-Stars, scored during the second period of a 5-2 loss to the Central Division All-Stars.

Pichler, who led the West with two goals and a +2 plus-minus rating in three games, scored with six minutes left in the second period to tie the score at 1-1.

Tyler Currier, Jason Cohen and Sean McNeely also played in the game. Currier had two shots, while McNeely had one shot on the Central net.

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