News
Date: Feb 06, 2010
Alaska defense forces Brown Bears into hibernation to cap series sweep
By Jeremiah Bartz
Frontiersman
WASILLA — For two periods Friday, Josh Benton was an absolute wall for the Kenai River Brown Bears.
The
former South Anchorage High School standout, who was making his North
American Hockey League debut in the Kenai River net, stopped all 39
shots he saw during the first 40 minutes.
But in the third,
Alaska finally found a way to get past Benton. And once that happend,
Alaska erupted for an avalanche of goals.
The Avs scored five times during a 10-minute span to set up a
6-5 shootout victory over the Brown Bears at the Curtis C. Menard II
Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla.
“Josh Benton was unbelievable for two periods,” Alaska head coach Dave Boitz said.
Benton made 18 saves in the first period and 21 more in the second, and Kenai River built the 2-0 lead.
The
Brown Bears scored twice more during the first six minutes of the third
to grab the 4-0 advantage, and then the Avs were finally able to find
the back of the net.
Forward Zach Smith scored seven minutes
into the third to put Alaska on the scoreboard and four of his
teammates followed with goals before the clock hit the 17-minute mark.
“Smith kind of broke the ice for us,” Boitz said.
With
the Avs trailing 4-1, forward Kyle Pichler and defenseman Logan Maly
scored during a 60-second span to cut Kenai’s lead to 4-3.
Midway
through the third period, after Kenai was whistled for a pair of
penalties, Alaska defenseman Jake Parenteau scored cashed in on a
5-on-3 advantage. Parenteau’s power play goal tied the game and less
than two minutes later, Robb Haider scored to give Alaska its first
lead of the contest.
Defenseman Braden Kinnebrew, who was traded
by Alaska to Kenai early in the season, scored on the power play at the
17:49 mark to tie the game at 5-5 and force overtime.
After a scoreless overtime, Pichler and Blake Huppert scored during the shootout to give the Avs the win.
Alaska outshot Kenai River 56-27 in the win.
“It’s some of the best hockey we’ve played all year,” Boitz said. “We put a lot of pucks on net.”
Former Soldotna High School standout Brad Duwe scored a pair of goals to lead the Brown Bears.
Duwe scored on the power play late in the first to give the Bears the 1-0 lead, and Duwe scored again early in the third.
Johan Skinners and Chris Rial also scored for the Bears.
On Saturday, Alaska completed the three-game sweep with a 5-1 win over the Bears.
Forward Matthew Friese scored a pair of goals to give Alaska the early 2-0 lead.
Former
Kenai Brown Bear and Kenai Central standout Jed McGlasson scored his
first goal in an Avalanche uniform in the third period.
Smith, Huppert and Trent Johnson also scored for the Avs.
Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
Alaska 6, Kenai River 5
Friday, Menard Arena
First period — 1. Kenai- Duwe (Royston, Lubanksi) pp 15:27.
Second period — 2. Kenai- Skinnars (Ramsey) 10:58.
Third
period — 3. Kenai- Duwe (Ramsey, Skinners) 5:32; 4. Kenai- Kinnebrew
(Beck, Bayagich) 6:36; 5. Alaska- Smith (Huppert) 7:03; 6. Alaska-
Pichler (Friese, Rounds) 11:08; 7. Alaska- Maly (Johnson, Barber)
12:08; 8. Alaska- Parenteau (Pichler, Huppert) pp 14:23; 9. Alaska-
Haider (Scott, Barber) 16:54; 10. Kenai- Kinnebrew (Lubanski, Duwe) pp
17:49.
Overtime — no scoring.
Shootout — 11. Alaska- Pichler.
Shots
on goal: Kenai 9-4-12-2-0—27, Alaska 18-21-11-5-1—56; Saves: Kenai- No.
1 18-21-6-5-0—50, Alaska- Robertson 8-3-9-2-0—22; Power plays: Kenai
2-for-5, Alaska 1-for-6; Penalties: Kenai- 7-for-17, Alaska 6-for-15.
Alaska 6, Kenai River 1
Saturday, Menard Arena
First period — 1. Alaska- Friese (Rounds, Mahailovich) 10:04.
Second
period — 2. Alaska- Friese (Parenteau) 4:37; 3. Alaska- Smith (Pearson,
Hildebrandt) 11:13; 4. Alaska- T. Johnson (S. Johnson, Pearson) 19:08.
Third
period — 5. Kenai River- Duwe (Skinners, Kinnebrew) 6:37; 6. Alaska-
Pichler (Huppert, Parenteau) pp 17:26; 7. Alaska- McGlasson
(unassisted) sh 14:32.
