NAHL hockey: Avalanche fall to intrastate nemisis

Nov. 26, 2006

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - For hockey fans, Alaska's first game against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs in more than a month did not lack excitement.

But unfortunately for the Avalanche, Alaska's 5-4 overtime loss to their intrastate rival did not lack frustration.

Alaska built a 2-0 lead and posted a game-tying goal with 48 seconds remaining in regulation, but had to watch Fairbanks skate off the ice of the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena victorious after the game-winning overtime goal.

&#8220There was a pretty emotional swing there,” Fairbanks head coach Rob Proffit said. &#8220To be down 2-0, find a way to get a lead and then give it up with a goalie pull situation and score in overtime. That's the full gamete of emotions there.”

Joe Shean got an open look at the Avalanche net and put a wrist shot past Alaska netminder Adam Kraus just 1 minute and 4 seconds into the five-minute overtime to give the Dogs the win.

That happened just mere moments after Alaska blueliner Josh Erhardt smacked a shot past Fairbanks goalie Shane Madolora in the final minute of regulation.

Trailing 4-3, Alaska pulled Kraus in the final minute to create the 6-on-5 advantage. Victor Nordenson took hold of the puck near the left circle on the ice and sent a pass to the far side. Ernhardt choked up on his stick, and sent the puck tumbling toward Madolora and into the net.

Nordenson and Jesse Bryant each scored in the first period, as the Avs built the early lead.

Bryant crashed the net, and scored at the 5:03 mark. Nordenson scored on a nifty little backhand with 51 seconds left in the first period to give the Avs the 2-0 lead.

Two 5-on-3 opportunities and a pair of special teams goals allowed the Ice Dogs to tie the score in the second period.

Early in the second period, Fairbanks turned an Alaska turnover into a 2-on-1 break. Eddie Samuels took the puck at the blueline, beat an Alaska blueliner and sent the puck across the ice to Nick Haddad, who scored to put Fairbanks on the board.

Late in the period, Kyle Schmidt capitalized on the Ice Dogs' third 5-on-3 opportunity of the game with the game-tying power-play score.

With two scores in the contest, Schmidt increased his total to a North American Hockey League-high 18 goals.

Fairbanks had only a small advantage in shots, out-shooting the Avs 38-33. But Fairbanks consistently tested Kraus with quality opportunities.

&#8220I thought we had a good chances, even being down 2-0 in the first,” Proffit said. &#8220We didn't play overly great, but we still had pretty quality chances. Their goaltender was pretty good.”

Richard Leitner also posted a goal for Alaska, scoring on a power-play opportunity set up by a Brandon Graffunder pass.

Late in the third period, Alaska found itself skating two men short. After scoring Alaska's first goal of the game, Bryant hobbled off the ice late in the first period, and did not return. Midway through the third, Avalanche forward Chris Nicolaou was given a 10-minute major after a scrum near the Fairbanks net.

Even though Alaska was skating shorthanded, Proffit said he did not see it as a real factor in the game.

&#8220I thought they competed their (butts) off,” Proffit said.

With the win on Friday, Fairbanks improved to 2-0-1 against the Avs this season. As of Friday evening, the two teams from the Last Frontier stood locked in a tie in fifth place of the NAHL South Division with 21 points.

The intrastate games are seen as key by both teams, but Proffit said it is still too early in the season to rest all of a team's hopes on a single series.

&#8220We've played three times, so we've got 15 more,” Proffit said. &#8220I don't think our guys can get overly excited. But the series, in a nutshell, is going to have an impact on who makes the playoffs.”

Alaska concludes its three-game set with Fairbanks tonight at 5 p.m. at the Menard Arena.

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