Arizona Sundogs Week 6 in Review

Three games, three straight nights, three different cities, two different states. If they didn't know it was the minor league, they do now.

     Arizona began its first of many three games in three nights scheduling this season In Allen, Texas facing the Americans. In what has become a trend this season, the scoring started early when Allen's Mike Willemsen netted the first goal at 1:20 of the first. Willemsen scored again at 13:42, putting the American's up 2-0. Arizona finally got on the board with a powerplay goal by Linus Fagemo at 15:33. Even though Arizona outshot Allen 16-10 in the period, the score was 2-1 at the buzzer. Arizona continued to outshoot Allen in the second, racking up 16 shots to Allen's 6, but the scoring belonged solely to Allen. Nathan ONabigon scored at 3:26 and Willemsen capped off his hat trick at 9:02. The only goal of the third was scored by Arizona's Linus Fagemo, his second of the night, but the Sundogs were unable to mount a comeback and lost the game 4-2. Arizona outshot Allen 45-27 on the night, but Allen goalie Chris Whitley was completely on his game and turned away nearly everything he saw.

    After facing Allen, the Sundogs hopped on a bus to travel to Wichita, Kanas for the second game in the stretch. Friday night, Arizona faced the Wichita Thunder in their first meeting this year. In a break from the trend this season, there was no scoring at all in the first period for either team though there were seven total penalties; including an obscene language misconduct penalty on Whichita's Chris Kovalcik. The scoring started early in the second period when Joel Hanson scored on the powerplay for the Thunder just 18 seconds in. Linus Fagemo tied it up for Arizona when he too scored on the powerplay at 7:48. Arizona took the 2-1 lead when Kyle Hood netted one at 10:25. The period ended tied though at Whicita's Joel Hanson got his second of the night at 17:29. The Thunder took the lead for good at 16:23 of the third when Jim Jorgensen scored the game winner.

     Hoping to end the road trip on a high note, the Sundogs returned to Texas to face the Amarillo Gorillas on Saturday night. Konrad Reeder scored the first goal of the night at 9:35 of the first. The period ended all knotted up though as Amarillo's Jake Morissette scored at 12:20. The scoring in the second started before people were back in their seats as Konrad Reeder scored his second of the night just 6 seconds in. A minute and 38 seconds later, Reeder finished the hat trick, his first of the season. Amarillo fought back however with a powerplay goal by Stuart McRae at 13:07 and an even-strength goal by Jake Morissette at 18:38. Chris Cloud put Amarillo ahead at 5:09 of the third, but Arizona's Linus Fagemo tied the game up again at 11:14. Regulation time ended with the score 4-4. Despite an Arizona penalty in overtime, there was no scoring and the game went to a shootout. Joe Guenther and Anthony Battaglia scored for Amarillo in the shootout. Kyle Hood and  Konrad Reeder scored for Arizona in the shootout, but it was Kevin Gardener's goal in the last round that won the game for Arizona. JF Perras racked up his fifth win of the season, he has been in net for all of the Sundogs' wins this season.

     Arizona signed former ECHL All-Star and NHL Draft pick Brett Hemingway and placed forward Jason Visser on the 14 day I-R on November 19. On Novemeber 20, Arizona signed defenseman Nick Biondo and place d-man Marek Jancek on the 14 day I-R.

     The Sundogs will play the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving. On Saturday, the team will wear Military themed jerseys which will then be auctioned off after the game with the proceeds going to charity. The desert camouflage jerseys which will remain unseen until Saturday's pregame warm-ups will carry the Sundogs primary ‘S' logo on the chest, the American Flag on the right shoulder and a stars and stripes emblem on the left shoulder and will use a military style font for the numbers and nameplates.