Bad bounces beat Spirit

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Frontiersman sports editor

WASILLA - The scoresheet shows a 3-2 overtime loss to Texarkana. But if there is such a thing as moral victories, the Wasilla Spirit got one on Friday.

Texarkana forward Jason Weeks trickled a shot past Wasilla goaltender Andrew Volkening with just 18 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Bandits the win. But Volkening and Wasilla built a 2-0 lead, and did not trail the second-highest scoring team in the North American Hockey League for 64 minutes and 42 seconds in the game.

&#8220It's tough for the kids. They put in a good effort tonight,” Wasilla head coach Dean Larson said after the game. &#8220But we got an effort from 20 guys tonight. If we play like that every night, we'll be fine.”

Volkening stopped 33 shots, and forwards Neil Walsky and Rob Thomas scored within a two-minute span in the second period for the 21-32-2 Spirit.

Still battling with rival Texas for the South Division title, Texarkana (40-13-2) scored late in a 14-shot second period to cut the deficit to one. Matt Zuke got a lucky bounce late in the third to tie the game for Texarkana.

A pair of bad bounces stood between Wasilla and its first win of the season against the Brett Hull owned Bandits. With five minutes remaining in regulation Texarkana forward Nic Polaski put a shot on goal. Volkening stretched out on his back to make the initial save. But Zuke knocked a rebound toward the Wasilla net that took a couple of bounces. The final bounce popped the puck up and over the stick hand of Volkening, who tried to stretch far in the opposite direction of his momentum to make the save.

&#8220We got a couple of bad bounces,” Larson said. &#8220That second one was kind of a three bouncer that went in the net. They put a lot of pressure in front of our net, and they do get goals like that.”

In overtime as the final seconds were ticking off the clock, Weeks, who recently committed to play college hockey at Canisus, sent a goofy shot toward the Wasilla goal that dribbled past Volkening.

The Bandits outshot Wasilla 36-25 in the game, and the shot total might not even be indicative of the pressure Texarkana put on Volkening and the Spirit defensemen.

&#8220They've got six guys that are pretty high end offensive players,” Larson said. &#8220I thought our guys did a good job of putting pressure on them, and taking away their time and space.”

Despite that pressure and a roster that boasts eight players with 30 or more points, Wasilla was able to keep Texarkana's offensive powers under control. Matt Zuke and Colby Jones each scored for the Bandits. But neither are considered to be among Texarkana's top offensive talents.

Forwards Anthony Becker (27-42-69), Casey Haines (27-37-64), Pat Maroon (22-33-55) and Aaron Lewicki (32-22-54) each average more than a point per game, but were all kept off the scoresheet on Friday. In two Wasilla losses at Texarkana earlier this season, these players combined for five goals and seven assists.

With the game-winner Weeks is also averaging a point per game with 29 goals in 25 assists in 54 games.

Walsky scored his fourth goal of the season two minutes into the second period to give the Spirit a 1-0 lead. The Anchorage native ripped a wrist shot past Riley Gill, a netminder considered one of the best in the NAHL. Two minutes later Rob Thomas, of Fairbanks, recorded his fifth tally of the year. Both players do not regularly show up on the scoresheet, but came up with two huge goals in the second period.

&#8220They've been getting a lot of ice time lately,” Larson said. &#8220And we've been putting a lot of trust in them.”