Avs looking to knock off South Division leaders

WASILLA — The Wichita Falls Wildcats can certainly put the puck in the net. The Wildcats rank second in the 18-team North American Hockey League with 142 goals in 37 games.

But the Wildcats also have the tendency to give up the scores. Opponents have scored 110 times against Wichita Falls.

In a two-game series last week, the Avs proved they could put the puck in the Wichita Falls net. But the Alaska also saw how potent that Wildcats offense can be.

Wichita Falls swept the series with a 6-3 win on Jan. 11, and a 7-4 victory the following night.

“You can’t get caught in a run-and-gun type situation,” Alaska head coach and general manager Jamie Smith said by cell phone from Wichita Falls, Texas, earlier this week. “They just have so much skill on their first line.”

The Avs will have two more opportunities to try to top Wichita Falls (25-11-1), a team ranked first in the South Division and second overall in the NAHL.

Wichita Falls hosts the Avs tonight and Saturday at the Kay Yeager Coliseum. Both games are set to start at 4 p.m. AST.

Alaska skated to a 3-1 lead, thanks to two goals within a 1 minute and 39 second span, but surrendered five unanswered in the loss last

Friday.

On the following night, Alaska found itself down 5-1 early in the second period. But the Avs fought back and scored three times in the final 30 minutes of play.

Smith said he was happy with the way his team played late in the contest, but surrendering early goals absolutely killed the Avalanche.

“They scored on three of about their first five shots,” Smith said.

Wichita Falls’ potent first line generated all three of its goals in the first period. Luke Salazar scored twice in the first six minutes, with one goal coming on the power play. Linemate Grant Everett added a power-play goal midway through the first.

The anchor of the line, Adam Cardwell, recorded four assists in the game.

The Cardwell-led line also accounted for three goals in the 6-3 win on Friday. Cardwell currently leads the league with 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists) in 35 games.

Salazar is the top goal-scorer with 26 goals in 37 games.

Forwards Jeremiah Dargis and Alex Young led the Avs offensively in the series. Dargis, a former Wasilla High standout, netted a goal and added four assists in two games. Young scored twice on the power play, and also had two assists.

Alaska names new captain

Alex Young has been named the captain of the Avalanche, head coach and general manager Jamie Smith said recently.

“Alex brings a ton of leadership,” Smith said. “He’s been salivating at the chance to lead this team.”

Young, an Anchorage native, has skated in 31 games this year, and has established himself as one of the Avs’ top players on both ends of the ice.

He’s among team leaders with 10 goals (six on the power play) and 17 assists. He leads the squad with a +5 plus-minus rating.

“He’s a natural born leader who leads by example,” Smith said. “He’s very demanding, very competitive and he’s got some integrity and some character.”

Young replaces former Avalanche defenseman J.C. Richardson as captain. Richardson was traded to Marquette earlier this month.

Blueliner Teddy Zierden and Michael McCurtain, a player used at both forward and on the back line, are the assistant captains.

HHS grad could make his

North Iowa debut

Former Avalanche forward Larry Kincaid could make his North Iowa debut with the Outlaws to travel to Bismarck, N.D., to face the Bobcats tonight.

On Monday, Kincaid — formerly a standout at Houston High School — was traded with defenseman Kevin Anger to North Iowa for forwards Kyle Politz and Brooks Dezellar.

Kincaid is the third skater with Avalanche ties to join the North Iowa squad this season.

Reed Rushing and Krystian Dzubinski, both members of the 2006-07 Alaska squad, play for North Iowa.

Dzubinski is fifth on the Outlaws with 22 points (8-14-22), while Rushing has 16 points (4-12-16) in 25 games.

A look ahead

Following Alaska’s set with Wichita Falls, the Avs travel to Frisco, Texas, to face the Texas Tornado three times.

The series starts Thursday and concludes Saturday at the FR Stars Arena. Each game is slated to start at 4:30 p.m. AST.

Alaska ends its 11-game road trip with a two-game series at the Topeka (Kan.) RoadRunners, Jan. 29-30.

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