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'RUNNERS TAKE GAME ONE IN FINALS
Bryce Merriam turned aside 20 shots in Thursday's 3-1 win.
(TOPEKA, KS) - The Topeka RoadRunners shook off a first period gaffe to overpower the Fairbanks Ice Dogs in a 3-1 win on Thursday night at the Kansas Expocentre.
It was a hard hitting yet cautiously played first period, as both teams appeared aggressive, but somewhat measured with neither team wanting to make the first mistake. That first mistake came when Topeka's Dennis Brown lost an edge at the Ice Dog blue line while on the power play and Fairbanks' Aaron Stonacek raced down the ice and converted the shorthanded, unassisted tally for a 1--0 lead that sent the Ice Dogs bench into a frenzy.
The second period saw Topeka pull up the bootstraps and manhandle the Ice Dogs, outshooting them 14-5, but only managing to beat Cody Reichard once, a nice wrister from Steve Shafer that picked the top corner at 3:22. The game was tied at 1-1 after 2.
Penalties proved to be the undoing of the Ice Dogs in the third period. Clearly on a mission to disrupt Topeka netminder Bryce Merriam, the Ice Dogs undisciplined play cost them when Corey Jendras buried a gorgeous wristshot over Reichard's shoulder for a 2-1 lead on a power play that came from Andrew McCabe's trip of Merriam.
Corey Jendras (19) watches as his shot rifles past Cody Reichard giving Topeka a 2-1 lead in the third period.
When Austin Block took a senseless, selfish penalty for checking Jake Hutt from behind when he didn't have the puck, Topeka struck again when Josh Kamrass blasted a shot home for a 3-1 lead. With just over 3 minutes left in the game, and with Fairbanks on a man advantage, goalie Cody Reichard headed to the bench for the extra attacker. With 1:18 left in the game, the Ice Dogs took a timeout but the RoadRunners withstood the barrage, blocking shots and clearing the zone, and holding on for a 3-1 win to go up 1-0 in the best of five series.
Game 2 is Friday night at 7:05 pm.
ROADRUNNERS NOTES:
- Three of the five penalties assessed against Fairbanks were for an infraction involving Topeka's goaltender.
- In an effort to seclude their bench from the fans, the Ice Dogs taped paper all across the glass around their bench area before the game. Expocentre staff removed it as it would make it impossible for paying fans to see a significant portion of the ice.
- Former RoadRunner Blake Humphrey was in town and was on the team bench Thursday night. His career was shortened by multiple concussions.
- Another former RoadRunner was in the building as Nick Hopper came to watch his old teammates.
