Dogs net final game of series

Nov. 28, 2006

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - The Fairbanks Ice Dogs won the opening face-off Sunday night and didn't look back, racing to a 5-1 win over the Alaska Avalanche at Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Arena in Wasilla.

&#8220Our energy level was real low tonight,” Avs interim coach Keith Morris said following the game.

The loss dropped Alaska back into a last place tie with Fairbanks in the North American Hockey League's South division after the teams split the first two games of the series, with Alaska taking Saturday's game 3-2.

If the Avalanche came out a little flat, it may have had to do with an unusually trying weekend that saw the team's entire coaching staff replaced following the loss Friday.

&#8220We're thankful we've got through the weekend and we're looking to move forward from here,” Morris said.

Fairbanks scoring machine Kyle Schmidt got the Ice Dogs off and running at 5:59 of the first period with a nifty move from right to left that beat Avalanche goalie Nathanial Pellegrino on the stick side. Joe Shean got the assist.

Schmidt, the league's leading scorer, tallied his second goal of the period when he put in his own rebound over Pellegrino's left shoulder to give Fairbanks a 2-0 lead. Helping out on the goal were Nick Haddad and Tim Olson.

Fairbanks got points from eight different players on the game, something Haddad said was key to the Ice Dogs' success.

&#8220A big part of our game is having all of our players play together and I thought we did that tonight,” Haddad said.

Fairbanks head coach and general manager Rob Profit said his team's win was encouraging because of the high level of intensity the Ice Dogs skated with on the night.

&#8220(Saturday) night, I thought we got out-energized, so we needed to come out tonight with a little more energy,” Profit said. &#8220I thought we did that from start to finish tonight.”

Eddie Samuels and Alex McRae added goals in the second period, leaving little doubt as to who was in charge.

Samuels added his second goal of the night in the third period. The final three goals for Fairbanks all came on the power play, something that cost Alaska dearly. The Avalanche were tagged for 14 penalties on the game for 42 minutes, a disparity that contributed to a 37-29 shot differential — and ultimately, the final score.

Richard Leitner broke up the shutout late in the third period with a crafty move in front of the net that completely fooled Fairbanks goaltender Shane Madolora.

The goal capped an exciting final few minutes that also saw two fights, including a clear win for Houston native Larry Kincaid over McRae. Kincaid left the ice holding his arms aloft to an appreciative home crowd.

Despite losing the final game of a long, intense weekend, Morris said the Avalanche can take solace in the fact that they managed to get three points.

&#8220Getting a point out of Friday was a positive, and then winning Saturday's game was a big emotional high for our franchise,” Morris said.

Morris said the entire organization must now begin the process of moving forward through the rest of the regular season.

&#8220We have to continue to battle through for those kids in there,” Morris said, pointing toward the locker room. &#8220Our job is to help them develop on and off the ice and that's what we're going to continue to do.”

Contact Frontiersman reporter Matt Tunseth at 352-2265.