RoadRunners sweep Avalanche

Dec. 22, 2006

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - The losses are beginning to pile up for the Alaska Avalanche.

On Wednesday, Santa Fe handed Alaska its seventh-straight loss of the season, skating past the Avalanche 7-2.

&#8220We just didn't have the energy level and commitment to work like they did,” Alaska general manager and coach Keith Morris said after the loss. &#8220We didn't work. The kids just didn't come to battle through, and when that happens you're going to get exposed.”

Santa Fe led 3-0 after the first period, and 5-0 after the second. The RoadRunners out-shot Alaska 27-14 in the first two periods, and didn't allow the Avalanche to post their 10th shot on goal until late in the second frame.

Santa Fe forward Tibor Kutalek led his squad with two goals and two assists in the game. He now has 24 goals and 42 points this season, good enough for second in the North American Hockey League. He trails only Kyle Schmidt, of Fairbanks, in each category.

Trevor Tolibas and Larry Kincaid each scored for Alaska.

Santa Fe also scored a 3-2 win over Alaska on Tuesday.

The RoadRunners (23-5-4) now have a firm grasp on the NAHL's South Division, with 50 total points.

Statistically, Santa Fe is near the top of the 17-team league in many areas. The team is ranked second in goals (120), second in goals allowed (66) and is the top penalty killing unit in the league.

&#8220They are as deep as a team as I've seen in junior hockey in a few years,” said Morris. &#8220They have outstanding skaters, guys that can shoot it, their back end is big and mobile, and they've got great goaltending.”

The loss keeps Alaska (10-17-4) in the bottom spot of the South Division. The Avalanche have been within reach of fifth-place Wichita Falls (11-16-3) for most of the month of December,

Forward Trevor Tolibas scored his first goal of the season, sneaking a shot under the crossbar 2 minutes and 9 seconds into the third period.

Sitting at the point, Tolibas took a pass from Anchorage native Todd Graham and blasted a shot into the upper shelf. The crossbar rang, as Tolibas' shot hit the goal. But instead of deflecting away, the puck crept into the net for a goal.

Tolibas has now skated in eight games. He missed the first 23 games of the season recovering from off-season hip surgery.

Late in the period, Kincaid, a local product, scored his first career goal on home ice. The former Houston High School standout skated past the defense at the blueline and sent a quick wrist shot on net. The puck dribbled past Santa Fe netminder Nick Hopper.

Nathaniel Pellegrino and Adam Kraus split time in net for the Avs. Pellegrino started the game, and the hard-luck goaltender dropped to 2-9-2 on the season. He recorded 15 saves in about 35 minutes of action.

Kraus played the final six minutes of the second, and a full 20 minutes in the third. Kraus stopped 13 of the 15 shots he faced.

The Avs are in the middle of a stretch where they play five games in five days. Alaska started a three-game series at Fairbanks on Thursday. Results were not available prior to press time. The intrastate rivals play again tonight and Saturday. Each game is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Big Dipper Ice Arena in

Fairbanks.

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