Tired Avs fall to Ice Dogs

WASILLA — It’s been a long couple of weeks for the Alaska Avalanche.

With eight games in the last 11 days, and a road trip that took the team through Texas and Kansas, it was only a matter of time before fatigue caught up with the Avs.

And that happened over the weekend, as the Fairbanks Ice Dogs used a 2-1 win to score a two-game sweep over the Avs at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena.

“We played all right, considering how many games we’ve played in how many nights. They came in fresh,” Alaska head coach Dave Boitz said.

Fairbanks used a pair of first-period goals to claim the win and spoil Alaska’s final home series of the season. The Ice Dogs also clinched the North American Hockey League West Division title with the opportunity.

But considering the opportunities Fairbanks had, Boitz said, the Ice Dogs shouldn’t feel incredibly comfortable with the slim victory.

“We’re tired. We’ve played so much more hockey than those guys in the last couple weeks and they come out here and squeak a 2-1 win with (eight) power plays?” Boitz said. “We’ll be fine.”

Fairbanks skated to the early 2-1 lead into the first, thanks to scores by Michael Juola and Eric Kraft.

Alaska defenseman Jake Parenteu put the Avs on the board with a power-play goal 15:20 into the first. With a blast from the point, Parenteu chipped a shot off the left post into the net to cut the Fairbanks advantage to 2-1.

Despite a number of opportunities later in the game and outshooting Fairbanks 11-2 during the first 10 minutes of the second, Alaska was unable to post the game-tying score.

The Avs were able to put the puck on net consistently during the first half of the second period, but then the Avs were whistle for three penalties within a four-minute stretch.

“Three power plays in a row got them right back in the game,” Boitz said of the momentum switch in the second. “Penalties were definitely the difference.”

Fairbanks outshot Alaska 18-2 in the latter half of the period.

Alaska was 5-4-0 in the nine games that preceded the two-game set with Fairbanks. That stretch included a win over Fairbanks in late February and two victories over Topeka, the top team in the NAHL.

Alaska is also in the middle of a three-week stretch in which the Avs play four games per week. Alaska will play its final six regular season on the road, and will start a four-game series at Wenatchee (Wash.) on Wednesday.

On Friday, Fairbanks scored on two of its first three shots of regulation to post the 2-0 lead by the five-minute mark of the first, and cruised to an 8-1 win.

“It was just one of those nights,” Boitz said of the Avs who allowed a season-high eight goals in the loss.

Juola and Steve Zierke scored within a 30-second span to give the Ice Dogs the two-goal lead. After Fairbanks’ Andrew McCabe won a battle behind the net, Zierke pushed a puck past Alaska starting goalie Dylan Woodring to give the Dogs the 1-0 lead, and Juola skated free to the top of the right circle in the Avalanche zone and put a shot into the far side of the Avs’ net to put Fairbanks up by two.

Nate Pellegrino, who stood in net in relief after Fairbanks took the early 2-0 lead, turned away 29 of the 25 shots he faced.

Forward Dylan Jones managed Alaska’s lone score of the night, scoring just nine seconds after Juola gave the Ice Dogs the two-goal advantage.

After the Ice Dogs’ second score, Alaska won the ensuing face off, defenseman Sean McNeely pushed the puck up to Jones, who muscled a shot past Ice Dogs goalie Joe Phillippi.

Phillippi kept the Avs out of the net for the final 45 minutes of play.

Fairbanks outshot Alaska 13-4 in the second period and cashed in on an early power-play opportunity in the second to skate to the 5-1 lead.

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

Fairbanks 2, Alaska 1

Saturday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Fairbanks- Juola (McCabe) 4:36, 2. Alaska- Parenteu (McNeely) pp 15:20, 3. Fairbanks- Kraft (Juola, Cook) pp 18:18.

Second period — no scoring.

Third period — no scoring.

Shots on goal: Fairbanks 10-20-6—36, Alaska 5-13-12—30; Saves: Fairbanks- Cook 4-13-12—30, Alaska- Pellegrino 8-20-6—34; Power plays: Fairbanks 1-for-8, Alaska 1-for-6.

Fairbanks 8, Alaska 1

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Fairbanks- Zierke (McCabe, Nelson) 4:25, 2.

Fairbanks- Juola (Block, Pustin) 4:55, 3. Alaska- Jones (McNeely) 5:04, 4.

Fairbanks- Saintey (Krause, Zierke) 13:19.

Second period — 5. Fairbanks- Larson (Darwitz, Juola) pp 3:56, 6.

Fairbanks- Martell (unassisted) 14:25.

Third period — 7. Fairbanks- Kraft (Schreiner) 7:51, 8. Fairbanks-

Block (Pustin) 9:04, 9. Fairbanks- Block (Pustin, Juola) 14:04.

Shots on goal: Fairbanks 15-13-10—38, Alaska 11-4-12—28; Saves: Fairbanks-

Phillippi 10-4-12—26, Alaska- Woodring 1-x-x—1, Pellegrino 11-11-7—29;

Power plays: Fairbanks 2-for-8, Alaska 0-for-5; Penalties:

Fairbanks 13-for-47, Alaska 17-for-63.