Spirit can't capitalize in loss

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Frontiersman sports editor

WASILLA - It's the holidays - so time for giving gifts, right?

Wasilla was probably not in the holiday spirit, as the Fairbanks Ice Dogs took a 2-0 lead in the first period and skated to a 3-1 North American Hockey League win at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena on Friday.

&#8220Besides those two gifts we gave them, I thought we played pretty good,” Wasilla head coach Dean Larson said. &#8220We made a couple of mistakes and gave them a few gifts there. Then we were playing catch-up hockey the rest of the night.”

But Fairbanks (11-8-3) did get its first two gifts of the holiday season as Chris Johnson and Mario Mjelleli scored within a two-minute span in the first period.

&#8220They've got some players that if you make a mistake (the puck's) going to be in the net,” Larson said.

Johnson muscled the rebound of a Mathius Iberer shot past Spirit netminder Andrew Volkening late in the first period. Less than two minutes later, Fairbanks center Shane Wheeler sped into the Wasilla zone and put a shot on goal. The rebound deflected off Volkening's pad and stood right in front of the Wasilla net. Mjelleli picked up the loose puck, and popped it up into the upper corner of the net.

Wheeler, an Eagle River native, used his speed in the third period again, this time scoring the third Ice Dogs goal of the game.

&#8220You can't leave Shane Wheeler alone in the slot,” Larson said. &#8220If you leave him alone in that area, he's going to score.”

While Wasilla did seemingly gift-wrap some scoring opportunities for the Ice Dogs, the Spirit couldn't seem to convert there own. And the Spirit had quality chances.

One after another, after another.

&#8220We're just not burying the puck,” Larson said. &#8220I thought we had good opportunities the whole game. We didn't capitalize on our chances.”

The story of the third period read like a log of missed opportunities for Wasilla. The Spirit outshot Fairbanks 12-6, and basically all 12 of those shots provided decent opportunities for the Spirit to score.

Trevor Tolbias at the door step. Taylor Sutherlin from the point. A Jeff Dimmen shot off a one-time pass from Mike Glaesmer. A Steve Murphy and Andy Sternberg 2-on-1. All opportunities that probably would have resulted in a score on another night.

Ice Dog netminder Shane Madolora stopped 31 of 32 shots in the win, but did not exactly look Brodeur-like.

&#8220He made the saves he needed to,” Larson said. &#8220I think even sometimes we're just holding onto the puck a little too long. It gives the goalie a little more of a chance to get back and get into position, rather than getting the puck and firing it right away.”

Taylor Sutherlin, an Anchorage native and new addition to the Spirit roster, supplied Wasilla with its lone score. Midway through the second period, Glaesmer put a shot on goal and the rebound squirted away from Madolora and stood about two feet in front of the Ice Dog crease. Sutherlin took the loose puck and put it into the back of the Ice Dog net.

Sutherlin is now wearing his third jersey of the season, and playing in his third league of the year. The 19-year-old defenseman started the season in the major-junior Western Hockey League with the Spokane Chiefs. After two games, he found himself with the South Surrey Eagles of the British Columbia Hockey League. During Wasilla's road trip earlier this month, Sutherlin was added to the roster.

The win gave Fairbanks the lead in the weekend two-game series. The teams also played Saturday in Wasilla, but results were unavailable before press time. The Ice Dogs also took a 3-2 lead in the season series. The Spirit will have plenty of opportunity to regain that, as these teams play 14 times this season.