Ice Dogs sweep Kenai River ahead of holiday break

Dec 19, 2009

FAIRBANKS – The Fairbanks Ice Dogs went into the holiday break on a high note Saturday night by posting a 5-3 North American Hockey League victory against the Kenai River Brown Bears in a game that had a little bit of everything.

Tyler Voigt and Jon Waggoner each had a goal and an assist and Joe Krause had two helpers as the Ice Dogs completed the first half of the season 22-12-1, winning 12 of their last 13 games.

Five different Fairbanks players scored goals and goalie Joe Phillipe stopped 23 shots to notch his second win since rejoining the team last week.

The game also featured an all-out donnybrook in the first period when all 12 players on the ice got into the swing of things. Even the goaltenders got into the melee as Kenai River\’s Mike Martin was ejected for fighting and Alaska\’s Phillipe was ticketed for crossing the red line.

The Ice Dogs never trailed in the game and led by as much as 4-1 before settling for the two-goal win.

James Saintey put Fairbanks ahead 1-0 at the 3:28 mark of the first period and Jon Feavel broke a 1-1 tie with a lamp-lighter that put Fairbanks ahead for good with about a minute before the first break.

Voigt and Waggoner picked up second-period goals and Sean O\’Rourke capped the Fairbanks scoring at 7:11 of the third period.

Other Fairbanks assists went to Justin Kirchhevel, Michael Juola and Jared Linnell.

Former Ice Dog Johan Skinnars, Derek Bayagich and Brad Busaro accounted for the Kenai goals.

Martin and Dainis Vasiljevs combined to stop 36 shots for Kenai.

The Ice Dogs are in second place in the NAHL South Division, five points ahead of the Alaska Avalanche (17-8-6) and 11 points behind the division-leading Wenatchee Wild (27-5-2).

Fairbanks has played one more game than Wenatchee and four more than the Avalanche.

The Ice Dogs take a three-week break before returning to the Big Dipper to host the Avalanche on Jan. 8-9.

Contact sports editor Bob Eley at 459-7581.

FAIRBANKS – The Fairbanks Ice Dogs went into the holiday break on a high note Saturday night by posting a 5-3 North American Hockey League victory against the Kenai River Brown Bears in a game that had a little bit of everything.

Tyler Voigt and Jon Waggoner each had a goal and an assist and Joe Krause had two helpers as the Ice Dogs completed the first half of the season 22-12-1, winning 12 of their last 13 games.

Five different Fairbanks players scored goals and goalie Joe Phillipe stopped 23 shots to notch his second win since rejoining the team last week.

The game also featured an all-out donnybrook in the first period when all 12 players on the ice got into the swing of things. Even the goaltenders got into the melee as Kenai River\’s Mike Martin was ejected for fighting and Alaska\’s Phillipe was ticketed for crossing the red line.

The Ice Dogs never trailed in the game and led by as much as 4-1 before settling for the two-goal win.

James Saintey put Fairbanks ahead 1-0 at the 3:28 mark of the first period and Jon Feavel broke a 1-1 tie with a lamp-lighter that put Fairbanks ahead for good with about a minute before the first break.

Voigt and Waggoner picked up second-period goals and Sean O\’Rourke capped the Fairbanks scoring at 7:11 of the third period.

Other Fairbanks assists went to Justin Kirchhevel, Michael Juola and Jared Linnell.

Former Ice Dog Johan Skinnars, Derek Bayagich and Brad Busaro accounted for the Kenai goals.

Martin and Dainis Vasiljevs combined to stop 36 shots for Kenai.

The Ice Dogs are in second place in the NAHL South Division, five points ahead of the Alaska Avalanche (17-8-6) and 11 points behind the division-leading Wenatchee Wild (27-5-2).

Fairbanks has played one more game than Wenatchee and four more than the Avalanche.

The Ice Dogs take a three-week break before returning to the Big Dipper to host the Avalanche on Jan. 8-9.

Contact sports editor Bob Eley at 459-7581.