Ice Dogs tumble Avalanche in 1-0 shutout

WASILLA — The Alaska Avalanche have been making a charge toward the top half of the North American Hockey League West Division standings. But the Avs ran into a wall on Thursday.

Fairbanks goalie Joe Phillippi stopped 32 shots to lead the Ice Dogs to a 1-0 shutout of the Avalanche at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena.

Alaska entered the three-game series, which continues tonight at 7 p.m. at the Menard, just a point behind second-place Fairbanks in the West Division. The Avs had been winners of their last five, and were looking to leap Fairbanks in the standings. But Phillippi made sure that didn’t happen on Thursday. Aaron McGill gave Phillipi all the offensive help he needed scoring the lone goal of the game 3 minutes and 28 seconds into play.

Alaska’s Kale Robertson was also solid in net, turning away 25 of the 26 shots he saw.

Alaska finished the game with 10 power-play opportunities, but Fairbanks killed each of the Avs’ chances with the man advantage as the Ice Dogs improved to 28-19-3.

Alaska dropped to 25-14-6 with the loss.

The Avs are only three points of the Ice Dogs in the West standings, and can still catch Fairbanks this weekend with a pair of games left in the series. The teams cap the three-game set Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Menard. The games mark Alaska’s final games at home until March 19 when the Avs host the Alexandria Blizzard.