Big 3rd period leads Ice Dogs to fourth straight win

November 30, 2018

Kenai River 1 @ Fairbanks 5 - The Fairbanks Ice Dogs lit the lamp four times in the final period to earn their fourth straight victory as they defeated the Kenai River Brown Bears in the lone NAHL game on Thursday, 5-1. Jack Johnston led the way with two goals, while Jonny Sorenson, Laker Aldridge and Jax Murray also tickled the twine in the win.

 

Although the Brown Bears stuck with the Ice Dogs during the first 40 minutes, Fairbanks busted the game open with three goals in the first 5:56 to runaway with another win over their rival.

 

Sorenson started things off for the Ice Dogs when he beat Brown Bears netminder Gavin Enright (25 saves) for a short-handed goal 9:27 into the second period. But the lead didn’t last into the second intermission, as Preston Weeks netted the visitors’ lone goal 18:41 into the middle period.

 

Johnston sparked the scoring spree with his seventh goal of the season 1:20 into the third. The veteran forward found space in front of the Kenai River net, and all he had to do was tap home a pass from Parker Brown for the eventual game-winner. Murray, who scored game-winners in each of the Ice Dogs’ three wins over the Brown Bears last weekend in Soldotna, then scored his 10th of the season 3:55 into the period to make it 3-1. Aldridge, a Lake Orion, Michigan, native who recently joined the team, buried a breakaway goal to make it 4-1 just 2:01 after Murray’s goal. Johnston tacked on an empty-net goal for good measure with 2 minutes remaining.

 

Fairbanks rookie goaltender Mattias Sholl stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced to earn the victory, while Enright made 25 saves in the loss.