Ice Dogs defeat division-leading Wisconsin Windigo in weekend road rout
By Gavin Struve
The Fairbanks Ice Dogs made a statement this weekend, earning two convincing road victories over the Wisconsin Windigo, who sat a few games above Fairbanks atop the NAHL Midwest Division standings. The Ice Dogs played with blistering efficiency, scoring on roughly a quarter of their shots between the two games. They’ll now be off for nearly two weeks, until the new year.
Friday: Ice Dogs: 6, Windigo: 2 The Ice Dogs crowded together in the corner of the rink, celebrating their third goal in the first 16 minutes of Friday’s game and Oliver Barna’s first as an Ice Dog. Fairbanks scored in a variety of fashions: on a power play, off a face off and then on a fast break.
While the Dogs didn’t ice the game entirely with their troika of early goals (Wisconsin made a brief comeback bid), they set the tone for the rest of the game en route to topping the team atop the NAHL Midwest Division standings on the road.
Despite being outshot in every period and 31-to-20 over the course of the game, the Ice Dogs won 6-2 and moved to 2-0 against the Windigo with an 11-4 scoring margin this season.
The Ice Dogs found themselves on the power play, of the 5-on-3 variety, minutes into the game and profited with a score 3:12 in from Kyle Rohrer a few feet outside the crease via assists from Wyatt Carlson and Ian Norkevicus.
The Windigo went on the power play several minutes later, but it proved fruitless as Charlie Menard recorded 10 saves in the first stanza. The Ice Dogs tacked on an even-strength score later on in the first period when they won a face off in the Windigo’s defensive zone. Rohrer secured the puck and paid it forward to Cole Burke right in front of the net for a goal at the 14:28 mark.
Fairbanks continued to pour it on, scoring again less than a minute and a half later. Barna caught the puck near the center of the ice on a 3-on-2 fast break, maneuvered past two defenders, shot and scored. He was assisted by Justin Collins and Ingus Locmelis.
The Windigo enjoyed a 10-to-5 shots on goal advantage in the second period and finally made good on it at the 17:32 mark when Harper Frey pushed in the puck from long range with just 10 seconds left in a power-play opportunity. Sandwiched between two prolific periods, the Ice Dogs had a scoreless second period.
Wisconsin scored again, drawing within one goal, 3:31 into the third period as Ben Aucoin poked in the puck just in front of the net. The Ice Dogs regained separation just over three
