Wild Split Two Games in Alaska

FAIRBANKS, Alaska. - The Fairbanks Ice Dogs scored three

unanswered goals Saturday night en route to a 3-1 victory over the

Wenatchee Wild at the Big Dipper Ice Arena. With the win the Ice

Dogs avoided a sweep by the Wild and created another tie between

the two clubs at the top of the West Division standings.

FAIRBANKS, Alaska. - The Fairbanks Ice Dogs scored three unanswered goals Saturday night en route to a 3-1 victory over the Wenatchee Wild at the Big Dipper Ice Arena. With the win the Ice Dogs avoided a sweep by the Wild and created another tie between the two clubs at the top of the West Division standings.

The Wild could not have asked for a better start, taking a 1-0 lead 38 seconds into the game when D.J. Vandercook (Farmington Hills, Mich.) set up Eliot Grauer (Mukioteo, Wash.) with a perfect pass to the top of the crease. It was Grauer's ninth goal of the season and Vandercook's 14th point in 14 games since being reacquired by the team.

The Ice Dogs came right back and tied the game three minutes later on Tayler Munson's marker. They went on to claim their first lead at the 5:49 mark of the first frame when Gabe Levin scored a 5-on-3 power-play marker from the slot off a rebound on Tyler Voigt's shot.

Fairbanks added an insurance goal with less than four minutes remaining before the second intermission when J.T. Osborn set up Zach Vierling in front of the Wild cage.

Ice Dog goaltender Joe Phillippi stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced. Brandon Jaeger (Champlin, Minn.) made 22 saves on 25 shots but fell to 10-4 on the season with the loss. Fairbanks scored one power-play goal on four chances while Wenatchee went 0-for-3 on the man-advantage.

The Wild (13-7) will continue its extended road trip in Alaska this week with a 2-game series against the Avalanche on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games will begin at 8:30 p.m. (PST).

Wenatchee kicked off its six-game road trip in Alaska Friday night with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs at the Big Dipper Ice Arena. 

After a scoreless first period the Wild turned an Ice Dogs turnover into the first goal of the contest. Shawn Pauly (Bellingham, Wash.) scored the goal a little less than five minutes into the period on a wrist shot from the slot. Zachary Wallace (Burbank, Calif.) assisted.

Wenatchee increased its lead to 2-0 a little over five minutes later during a 5-on-3 power play. Michael Di Puma (Chicago, Ill.) scored the goal on a rebound off of a Ben Carey (Centennial, Colo.) shot. Chris Rumble (Chesapeake, Va.) earned the second assist on the play, which extended his points streak to six games. It was Di Puma's ninth goal of the season and what would turn out to be his second game-winner of the campaign.

Matt Millis' goal at the 7:35 mark of the third frame cut the Wild lead in half, 2-1. However, Wenatchee played solid defense down the stretch, refusing to allow Fairbanks the equalizer.

Netminder Brandon Jaeger (Champlin, Minn.) played a tremendous game for the Wild. He made 21 saves on 22 shots for his 10th win of the season and closed the door on the Ice Dogs' power-play unit, which could not generate a man-advantage goal on six opportunities.

Fairbanks goaltender Steve Perry made 20 saves on 22 shots. He gave up one power-play marker on four chances.