FAIRBANKS, ALASKA- It’s gut check time. The Fairbanks Ice Dogs dropped a pair of games to the Springfield Jr. Blues, losing 4-3 on Friday and 3-2 on Saturday at the Big Dipper Ice Arena. Saturday’s loss extended the Dogs’ current winless skid to 6 games (0-5-1-0), with a 2-6-2-0 record over the past 10 games.
Tyler Borgula scored with just over two minutes remaining to lift the Springfield Jr. Blues to a 4-3 win over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Cole Burke broke the ice for Fairbanks with his ninth goal of the season. Springfield would respond with three straight goals in the second period. Marcus Broberg, Landry Schmuck and Scott Miner all lit the lamp for the Jr. Blues. Jake Cameron and Caden Pendo would score to tie things up for Fairbanks before Borgula’s eventual game winner. Aksel Reid was victorious in goal as he denied 24 Ice Dog shots. Jack Olson was saddled with the loss as he stopped 22 shots.
The Jr. Blues overcame a two-goal deficit to pick up the sweep of the Ice Dogs as they won on Saturday night 3-2. The Ice Dogs owned the first 20 minutes of play as they picked up goals from Billy Renfrew and Brady Welsch. The game changed in the second period Springfield lit the lamp three times. Landry Schmuck scored his seventh of the campaign to bring his team to within one. Then about eight minutes later Adyn Merrick tied the game at two with his sixth goal of the year. Then just 63 seconds later Carter Cloutier scored the eventual game winning goal as he buried his third of the season past Kayden Hargraves. Carson Dorfman received the win in goal as he made 31 stops. Hargraves and Jack Olson worked together to make 29 saves for Fairbanks.
The Ice Dogs cling the third place in the NAHL Midwest Division with just six games remaining on the schedule. Four of those games come against the Kenai River Brown Bears, beginning next weekend with a 2-game set in Soldotna.
The Dogs return to the Big Dipper to close out the regular season with two games against Kenai River March 31-April 1, and then a 2-game set against Chippewa April 7-8.
