Anchorage, Alaska | 1/22/22 | Isaac Smoldon
Despite trailing for the majority of the 3rd, the Wolverines were able to defeat the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, 4-3 in overtime. Bohdan Panasenko and Colton Friesen were the clutch goal scorers, with Panasenko tying the game with 6:50 remaining in the 3rd, and Friesen winning the game in the extra frame for Anchorage. Raythan Robbins backstopped the Wolverines’ victory, making 20 saves on 23 shots.
While both teams fought hard to get the first of the contest, neither would be successful in the opening frame. The D-corps of both squads bent, but never broke, and both goalies came up big several times each to keep the game scoreless.
The 2nd however, was a different story. Talon Sigurdson got Anchorage on the board first, scoring his 28th of the year 4:34 into the period. The Ice Dogs rose to the challenge not long after, tying the game at one following Alexander Malinowski’s 18th of the season. The give-and-take continued when the Wolverines regained the lead, thanks to Colton Friesen potting his 2nd of the weekend. Fairbanks was able to take control in the later half of the frame however, first tying the game at 2-2 with a goal from Cameron Ricotta, and then taking the lead following Brady Welsch’s first of the season. Anchorage went into the 3rd down 3-2, the first time they had trailed against the Ice Dogs during the weekend.
The explosion of offensive in the 2nd died down in the 3rd, with the first half of the period being a scoreless affair. That changed with 6:50 remaining however, as Bohdan Panasenko outworked the Fairbanks defense and then made an incredible diving chip-shot to beat Fairbanks’s goaltender Kayden Hargraves and tie the game at 3 apiece. A late period penalty against the Wolverines created some challenges for Anchorage, but they were able to halt the Fairbanks attack and extend the game to overtime.
Even though Anchorage was put on the penalty kill for over a minute to start overtime, strong defense and good goaltending would keep Fairbanks’ powerplay scoreless on the weekend. There was no stoppage following the expiration of the penalty, which meant that both teams were playing 4-on-4 when Colton Friesen tapped home a backdoor rebound to win the game for his squad by a score of 4-3. The goal was Friesen’s 8th of the season and 3rd of the weekend.
With their 8-1 win Friday, and Saturday’s overtime victory, Anchorage gains three points against the Ice Dogs both in the Midwest Division standings and the coveted Club 49 Cup. The Wolverines will play next weekend again at the Ben Boeke, Friday at 7PM AKST and Sunday at 4PM AKST. Tickets for both games are available on anchoragewolverines.com or at the door 30 minutes to puck drop.
