Spirit hockey: Fairbanks wins game three

DARRELL L. BREESE/ Frontiersman reporter

ANCHORAGE - The Wasilla Spirit have played the Fairbanks Ice Dogs 17 times this season, and thirteen of those games have been decided by one goal or less.

During that stretch the Alaska rivals have played seven overtime games. That trend continued on Friday.

Fairbanks' 3-2 win at the Subway Sports Center in Anchorage marked the third time these teams went into the extra period in the North American Hockey League West Division playoffs, and gave the Ice Dogs a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five series.

After containing the offense of the Ice Dogs for the better part of three periods, a pair of goals off rebounds proved to be the difference.

&#8220(Andrew) Volkening is a great goalie,” Fairbanks coach Rob Proffitt said after the game. &#8220For us to get a chance at one shot off a rebound is a big deal. To get two with the game on the line is unbelievable. But we'll take it.”

Wasilla grabbed a 2-1 lead thanks to a first-period power-play goal from Rob Thomas and a second-period wrist shot from Steve Murphy.

Brendan Olinyk tied the game at 2-2 for Fairbanks. His initial shot bounced back his stick. But his second attempt deflected off the glove of Volkening, and squeezed inside the top corner of the goal.

Former Chugiak High standout Shane Wheeler got the game-winner in overtime when a shot from Olinyk bounced off Volkening's leg pad and settled in front of him.

&#8220I saw the puck wobbling there, and I got both nervous and excited at the same time,” Wheeler said. &#8220It never settled so I wasn't sure I got a good hit on it until I saw it in the back of the net.”

Spirit coach Dean Larson called the contest a replay of the game-two loss in Fairbanks last weekend.

&#8220We played hard for two-and-a-half periods and then they came back late to get the win,” Larson said. &#8220I told the guys that they played well enough to win. We just needed to find a way to finish them off.”

Larson had his defense keying on Olinyk and Wheeler, the Ice Dog's top scorers for most of the game. But a brief lapse of focus proved the difference.

&#8220We just lost track of them for a moment and they made us pay,” Larson said.

The Spirit defense was scrambling to get back in position after forward Andy Sternberg was checked over the boards and into the bench of the Ice Dogs in the overtime when Wheeler scored the game winner.

&#8220That one brief moment was all it took,” Larson said. &#8220We had contained him up until that point. That was his only quality shot of the game.”

Despite Wasilla's first home playoff game being held at Subway Sports Center in South Anchorage, the game was played before a standing room only crowd of 1,200. That included a small, but vocal, contingent of Fairbanks supporters.

Down 2-1 in the series as of Friday, Wasilla needed to win on Saturday to force a fifth game. Results of Saturday's contest were unavailable prior to press time. See the Tuesday edition of the Frontiersman for complete details.

Contact Darrell L. Breese at 352-2267 or at darrell.breese@

frontiersman.com.

North American Hockey League

Western Division Semifinal

Game 3, Friday at the Subway Sports Center

Fairbanks 3, Wasilla 2

Fairbanks 1 0 1 1 - 3

Wasilla 1 1 0 0 - 2

First Period - 1, Wasilla, Thomas (Lund, Leitner), 8:03 (pp); 2, Fairbanks, Johnson (Tikka, Olinyk), 17:37 (pp); Penalties - Fairbanks 3 penalties for 6 minutes; Wasilla 2 for 4.

Second Period - 3, Wasilla, Murphy, 2:15. Penalties - Fairbanks 1 for 2 minutes; Wasilla 2 for 4.

Third Period - 4, Fairbanks, Olinyk, 14:12. Penalties - Fairbanks 2 for 7; Wasilla 2 for 7.

Overtime - 5, Fairbanks, Wheeler (Olinyk), 1:21.

Power-play opportunities - Fairbanks 1 for 3; Wasilla 1 for 2. Shots on goal - Fairbanks 11-8-12-1-32; Wasilla 9-13-7-0-29. Referee - Josh Ellis. A - 1,200.