Minnesota Magicians Weekly
November 25, 2014 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Magicians News Release
After a tough weekend in Soldotna, Alaska, the Magicians made the 2-hour trip north to Fairbanks with the hope of ending a 4-game losing streak. Earning a victory against the talented Ice Dogs would prove elusive, however, as the Magicians found out exactly what a first place team looks like over the weekend. On Friday, it was a rout as the Magicians were overwhelmed by foe and fan in what is likely the most hostile venue the team will travel to this season. On Saturday, the contest was much more competitive despite another disappointing loss on the road. After all was said and done on their 11-day trip up to the 49th state, the Magicians boarded the Minneapolis-bound plane on Sunday looking forward to returning home to work on getting back on track.
Friday:
Final Score: Magicians 2 - Fairbanks 7
Star of the Game: Paul O'Connor - The veteran defenseman notched his first goal and point of the season, all the while managing to stay even (+/- 0) in a game where 11 Magicians players finished with in the negative (+/-).
Venue: Big Dipper Ice Arena, Fairbanks AK
The Magicians rolled into Fairbanks with the challenge of ending their losing streak against the defending NAHL Robertson Cup Champions, and current leaders of the Midwest Division. In addition to facing a talented opponent, the Magicians were thrust into a hostile environment of over 2,000 raucous fans.
Boosted by the energy in the building, the Ice Dogs overwhelmed the Magicians from the start of Friday's contest. With a steady dose of pressure from the initial puck drop, Fairbanks peppered Magicians goaltender Chris Amsden with shots. Nonetheless, the first period ended in a scoreless tie large part due to the play of Amsden who denied 19-of 19 Ice Dogs shots before the 1st intermission.
Unfortunately, the second period was a different story as the Ice Dogs finally found the touch needed to hit the back of the net. Starting with a powerplay goal by Jacob Hetz 1:26 into the period, Fairbanks scored four unanswered goals to pull away from the Magicians. In search of a way to spark the team, Head Coach Tom Upton called upon rookie goaltender Cole Weaver to replace Amsden after the 4th Ice Dogs goal. The move was followed by a goal from defenseman Ryan Solomon, his second goal of the season (Assist by Braxton Collins), that ended the Fairbanks run. The Magicians had a chance to carry momentum from the goal into the intermission, but another Ice Dogs goal made the score 5-1 heading into the third period.
In the third, an early goal by Fairbanks made the score 6-1 before Magicians veteran defenseman Paul O'Connor notched his first point of the season on a powerplay goal assisted by Jack Christensen and Matt Colford. Another Ice Dogs goal shortly thereafter nullified any positive feelings the Magicians could glean from the O'Connor goal, and the third period buzzer mercifully ended the game with the final score off 7-2 in favor of Fairbanks.
Saturday:
Final Score: Magicians 2 - Fairbanks 4
Star of the Game: Chris Amsden - The Goaltender bounced back from Friday night's loss to have a solid night between the pipes for the Magicians, stopping 39 shots despite walking away with the defeat.
Venue: Big Dipper Ice Arena - Fairbanks, AK
On Saturday, the Magicians came out with the intention to dictate the tone and tempo of the game in order to avoid an onslaught similar to that of Friday night. Veteran forward and assistant captain Kris McKinzieanswered the call immediately, dropping the gloves with Fairbanks forward Lonnie Clary 12 seconds into the game. The Magicians responded well to the fight and avoided mistakes in the first period, keeping the Ice Dogs off the board. The game reached the first intermission tied at zero.
In the second, it was Fairbanks who was finally able to break the scoreless tie. Jacob Hetz started the scoring, and he was followed by Lonnie Clary who made it 2-0 in favor of the Ice Dogs. Just before the 2nd intermission, Magicians forward Marc Michaelis cut the Fairbanks lead in half with a powerplay goal assisted by Lukas Laub.
Down 2-1 early in the third period, the Magicians tied the game on an unassisted goal by defenseman and captain Thomas Delaney. Unfortunately, Fairbanks reestablished a lead on a powerplay goal by Chandler Madry at the midway point of the period, and another goal by Hetz late in the third was enough to seal the deal for the Ice Dogs.
The Magicians concluded their trip to Alaska 0-4, walking away with zero points in what may turn out to be a critical stretch of the season. During the course of their current 6-game losing streak, the Magicians have fallen from 2nd place in the Division to fourth, only 2 points ahead of last place Kenai River. The week ahead is critical for the Magicians, and a Wednesday game vs. the Minnesota Wilderness precedes a pivotal home & home series vs. the Coulee Region Chill. The Midwest Division standings remain extremely tight, so two or three wins could quickly erase the damage done during the current losing streak. Make sure to come out to Richfield Ice Arena this weekend to support the Magicians!
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