Topeka and Fairbanks claim opening night wins
September 12, 2015
Wichita Falls 3 @ Topeka 4 – The Topeka RoadRunners erased an early two-goal deficit and held on to defeat the Wichita Falls Wildcats, 4-3 on Friday night on opening night in the NAHL. It was the Wildcats who got on the board first as Jonathan Lazarus lifted a shot past Topeka goalie Vladimir Cibulka for a 1-0 lead. Just over a minute later, the Wildcats lead swelled to 2-0 as Austin Albrecht scored on a rebound. Topeka answered right back with a shorthanded goal from Luka Maver and then tied the game on a nice passing play from Andrew Hart to Ryan O’Connor, who slid a shot past Wildcats goalie Julian Sime, who was making his first NAHL start. Topeka took their first lead of the game midway through the 2nd period as Maver added his second of the game. That was answered late in the 2nd period on a goal from Wildcats forward Adam Goodsir. The game-winner came in the 3rd period as Andrew Hart scored on a breakaway. Cibulka made 28 saves in the win, while Sime took the loss with 26 saves. Boxscore
Fairbanks 6 @ Kenai River 2 – Three shorthanded goals, all in the 1st period in a 5 minute span is all the Ice Dogs would need to defeat the Kenai River Brown Bears on opening night, 6-2. The Ice Dogs were off and running in the 1st period as Logan Coomes and Tyler Tomberlin scored shorthanded goals just :14 seconds apart from one another. Fairbanks’ third shorthanded goal came late in the 1st period as Reggie Lutz scored to make it 3-0. Fairbanks didn’t let off the gas in the 2nd period as goals from Todd Burgess, Evan Somoza and Ryner Gorowsky in a 5-minute span made the score 6-0. After the 4th goals from Burgess, the Brown Bears pulled starting goalie Nick Nast in favor of Brian Baker, who allowed the last two. Adam Kresl finally got the Brown Bears on the board with a late 2nd period goal and Jack Gessert added a 3rd period goal. Andrew Lindgren picked up the win in goal for Fairbanks, making 21 saves. Nast took the loss for Kenai River with 12 saves and Baker had 18 saves in a relief appearance. Boxscore