No Second Round for Ice Dogs

by: Josh Marks

The Long Beach Ice Dogs battled the Bakersfield Condors to a seventh and deciding game in the opening series of the Kelly Cup playoffs but lost 4-3 at Rabobank Arena last Saturday night.

The defeat sent the Ice Dogs home and the Condors on to the second round to face the Fresno Falcons in the Pacific Division finals. Long Beach struck first with a power play goal by Sean McAslan at 3:45 of the opening period.
Cory Urquhart and Chris Rowan scored a goal each in the second period as Long Beach skated into the final twenty minutes with a 3-2 lead.

Bakersfield tied the game and shifted the momentum in their favor with a shorthanded goal at 4:52. Joel Irving scored the game and series winner a minute and thirty seconds later.

Ice Dogs netminder Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves in the loss. The Dogs made their eighth playoff appearance in ten seasons in Long Beach and took a series to seven games for the second time in franchise history.

 

Ice Dogs Vie for Kelly Cup

by: Josh Marks

The Ice Dogs have begun their 8th quest for the Kelly Cup after a decade in Long Beach.

The team traveled to Bakersfield Apr. 11 for a first round playoff match against the Condors and lost by a score of 3-1 to go down 0-1 in the series. The Condors’ Mathieu Brunelle scored the game winner in the second period. The Ice Dogs’ Sean McAslan scored the opening goal of the series in the first period with a wrist shot through the five-hole of Condors’ goalie Ryan Munce. Greg Hewitt made 23 saves in the defeat.

The teams will play the second game of the series tonight at the Rabobank Arena.

The Dogs return to the friendly confines of the Long Beach Arena for game three Saturday night, Apr. 15 at 7 p.m. Long Beach (36-27-9, 81 points) finished the regular season in 3rd place in the Pacific Division standings while Bakersfield finished 2nd, five points ahead of the Dogs.

Last year Long Beach defeated the defending Kelly Cup champion Idaho Steelheads in the first round, before losing to the Alaska Aces in the Divisional Finals.
The first round schedule:

All games are at 7 p.m. (except for Game 5 at 5 p.m.)

Game 2 4/14 at Bakersfield
Game 3 4/15 at Long Beach
Game 4 4/16 at Long Beach
Game 5* 4/19 at Long Beach
Game 6* 4/21 at Bakersfield
Game 7* 4/22 at Bakersfield
(*if necessary).

For playoff tickets contact Ticketmaster or visit the Long Beach arena box office. For up-to-date info on all the Ice Dogs playoff action call (562) ICE-DOGS or visit www.icedogs.com.

 

Ice Dogs Avenge Loss

by: Josh Marks

The Long Beach Ice Dogs (35-23-9) avenged a loss at San Diego two nights earlier by defeating the Gulls at home 4-3 on Mar. 27. It was the second consecutive win for Long Beach. The team beat Bakersfield at home in dramatic fashion with a 6-5 shootout win on Mar. 26.

The victory over Bakersfield gave Long Beach a three point edge over the Condors for the number two playoff seed and home ice advantage in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The lead over Bakersfield was extended to five points with the most recent win over San Diego.

After Long Beach took a 4-1 lead at 6:08 of the second period with the sixth goal of the season from Dave Cousineau, the Gulls mounted a strong comeback to pull within a goal but the Dogs held on for the win. Goaltender Greg Hewitt earned the victory with 29 saves.

The Ice Dogs face off against the Idaho Steelheads at Long Beach Arena this Friday night. Long Beach then takes on Stockton at home this Saturday night at 7 p.m., before finishing the regular season with two away games at Las Vegas and Fresno.

For tickets, call (562) ICE-DOGS.

 

Ice Dogs Wrap Up

Not even a Southern California snow storm could stop the playoff-bound Long Beach Ice Dogs (33-20-8) from winning another game.

The Dogs beat the Bakersfield Condors 3-2 Sunday night at the Long Beach Arena despite a two-hour game delay because the Condors were caught up in the winter weather.

Cory Urquhart completed a natural hat trick, scoring three straight goals for the Ice Dogs. Goaltender Oilvier Michaud got the win with 25 saves. It was the second straight win at home for Long Beach. The team defeated the San Diego Gulls 3-2 Saturday when Christian Larrivee scored a shorthanded goal in the third period to stop the Gulls' comeback attempt.

The second-place Ice Dogs travel to Pacific division leader Fresno for a pair of games this weekend starting with a 7 p.m. face off tonight.

For tickets, call (562) ICE-DOGS.

 

Ice Dogs Get 30th Win

by: Josh Marks

The Long Beach Ice Dogs (30-18-6) defeated the Phoenix Roadrunners 4-3 last Saturday night in front of the largest home crowd of the season.

The 4,822 in attendance witnessed three lead changes as the Dogs came from behind in the third period to secure their 30th win of the season. Long Beach’s Michael Lambert started the scoring at 11:46 of the first period with an unassisted goal, a blistering slap shot past Phoenix goaltender Mike Mole. Christian Larrivee scored on the power play to give the Dogs a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

The Roadrunners scored three unanswered goals in a span of just under five minutes during the second period to take a 3-2 lead heading into the third period. The Ice Dogs’ Sean McAslan tied the game with a power play goal at 15:07 of the third. Cory Urquhart scored the game-winner for the Dogs with 49 seconds left in regulation. Goaltender Mark Scally made 20 saves in the win as Long Beach out-shot Phoenix 37-23.

The next home game is against Stockton on Friday, Mar. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

For tickets, call (562) ICE-DOGS.

 

Road Wins Continue

by: Josh Marks

The Long Beach Ice Dogs (28-16-5) continued their dominance on the road with a 3-1 defeat of the Phoenix RoadRunners on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Their 10th straight road win tied the ECHL mark for consecutive road victories. South Carolina set the mark in 2000 followed by Las Vegas earlier this season. Sean McAslan got Long Beach on the board first with a shorthanded goal at 15:22 of the first period.

The Dogs’ Christian Larrivee scored the game winner with a power play goal eight minutes into the third period. Justin Aikins added an empty-net goal with 20 seconds left. Long Beach goalie Jaroslav Halak made 26 saves in the win.

The Ice Dogs begin a three game series at West Division leader Alaska tonight in Anchorage. The Aces are 3-0 against the Dogs this season and have out-shot Long Beach by a combined score of 13-3.

For tickets, call (562) ICE-DOGS.

 

Ice Dogs Win on the Road

by: Josh Marks

The Long Beach Ice Dogs (22-15-5) won their sixth consecutive road game last weekend. The team finished a two-game sweep of the Stockton Thunder in a 2-1 shootout victory on Sunday, Jan. 29. The game remained scoreless until the third period when Stockton took the lead with a power play goal.

The Ice Dogs' Sean McAslan tied the game a little over three minutes later with assists from Mac Faulkner and Luke Fritshaw. Long Beach goalie Greg Hewitt made 32 saves in the win.

In other news, the Dogs recently signed Long Beach native and former Ice Dog Nick Ganga. The 27-year-old forward played 65 games for Long Beach in the 2003-2004 season, posting 15 goals, 16 assists and 212 penalty minutes.
The Ice Dogs return to the Long Beach Arena this weekend with a Friday night game against West Division leader Las Vegas followed by a Saturday night match against Pacific Division rival San Diego.

Fore more information call (562) ICE-DOGS or visit www.icedogs.com.

 

Ice Dogs in Second

by: Josh Marks

The Long Beach Ice Dogs (14-14-3) ended 2005 in second place in the ECHL Pacific Division standings despite being at the .500 mark following a 6-2 loss to the Reading Royals on Dec. 31 at Long Beach Arena.

The two Ice Dogs goals were scored by Justin Aikins at 6:33 of the first period and Christian Larrivee with a power play goal in the second period. Starting goaltender Jaroslav Halak was replaced by Greg Hewitt early in the game after giving up two goals on four shots.

Long Beach faces off at home against the Bakersfield Condors on Friday, Jan. 6 at 7: 30 p.m.

For more information call (562) ICE-DOGS or visit www.icedogs.com.

 

Odds Against the Ice Dogs

by: Josh Marks

Maybe it was the midnight start time in Vegas or simply running into a hot team. Just when the Long Beach Ice Dogs (13-11-3) seemed to be turning things around this season after shutting out the Phoenix Roadrunners 5-0 for their third win in a row, the Las Vegas Wranglers won their eighth straight game by defeating the Ice Dogs in a 5-4 shootout on Dec. 19.

Despite the loss, goaltender Greg Hewitt played a solid game between the pipes. The Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for Dec. 12-18 stopped 45 shots.

Long Beach gets an opportunities for revenge as they return to the friendly confines of the Long Beach Arena to battle the Wranglers on Dec. 28 at 7 p.m.

For more information call (562) ICE-DOGS or visit www.icedogs.com.

 

Ice Dogs in Slump

by: Josh Marks

The Long Beach Ice Dogs (8-10-2) have recently been in a scoring slump. The team has been outscored 12-3 in their past three games at the Long Beach Arena.

In their latest loss on Dec. 4 to the Phoenix Roadrunners by a final score of 2-1, the Ice Dogs were stoned 47 times by goaltender Mike Mole out of a season-high 48 shots on goal.

Long Beach continued their season-long struggle with an extra attacker as they went 0-5 on the power play. The lone Ice Dogs goal was scored shorthanded in the third period by Mac Faulkner with an assist to Sean McAslan.

The Ice Dogs hope for better results on the road as they play their next five games away from Long Beach, starting with the defending Kelly Cup champion Trenton Titans.

For more information call (562) ICE-DOGS for visit www.icedogs.com.

 

Ice Dogs Tied for Second

 

By Josh Marks

 

The Long Beach Ice Dogs (5-6-2) continued their early season struggles with a 2-1 shootout loss to the Condors in Bakersfield Saturday, Nov. 19.

 

The defeat brings the winless streak to three games and pulls Bakersfield into a two-way tie with Long Beach for second place in the Pacific Division. 

 

Sean McAslan scored the lone Ice Dogs goal with an assist to Jimmy Bonneau at 2:05 of the third period. Goaltender Olivier Michaud made 33 saves in his season debut.

 

Long Beach will try to turns things around when they travel to San Diego Friday night and Phoenix Saturday evening before returning home Sunday evening for a 5 p.m. match-up with the Victoria Salmon Kings.

 

Call (562) ICE-DOGS or visit www.icedogs.com for more information.

 

 

Ice Dogs in Second Place

by: Josh Marks

After a disappointing 0-3 start to the season, the Long Beach Ice Dogs (3-4-1) have scored seven points in their last four games to retain sole possession of second place in the Pacific Division.

The Ice Dogs earned a point in a shootout loss to Fresno on Nov. 5 at the Long Beach Arena. Ice Dogs goalie Greg Hewitt made 23 saves in the losing effort. After a two game series in Phoenix, the team returns home this weekend for a two game series against the Utah Grizzlies.

The puck will drop at 7 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Call (562) ICE-DOGS or visit www.icedogs.com for more information.

 

Ice Dogs Lose First Three Games

by: Josh Marks

The Long Beach Ice Dogs (0-3-0) dropped their first three games of the season at Idaho this past weekend.

The Steelheads swept the series 4-3, 5-1 and 3-1. It was the first time in franchise history that the team has opened the season with three straight losses.

Long Beach struggled on the power play, going 0-5 in the final game.

The Ice Dogs look to rebound this Friday, Oct. 28 in their home opener against the Fresno Falcons at 7:30 p.m. Call (562) ICE-DOGS or visit www.icedogs.com for more information.

 

Ice Dogs Add to Line-Up

by: Josh Marks

The Long Beach Ice Dogs added size and strength to their back line on Aug. 2 when they signed rookie defenseman Luke Fritshaw for the 2005-2006 season. The 6’4”, 208-pound lefthander was originally drafted by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the sixth round (173rd overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He has played the last five seasons for the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League. Fritshaw was the highest scoring defenseman on his team last year, with 41 points in 72 games.

The Ice Dogs open the season at home on Friday, Oct. 28 against the Fresno Falcons at 7:30 p.m. Call (562) ICE-DOGS or visit www.icedogs.com for more information.

Ice Dogs End Playoff Run

by: Josh Marks

The Long Beach Ice Dogs (3-4) ended their season on Monday night in Anchorage, Alaska as the Aces (6-2) finished a three game sweep by a score of 3-1 in the West Division Finals of the Kelly Cup playoffs.

The game winner came in the second period when Alaska player Mike Scott scored on the power play. The Ice Dogs’ Sebestien Centomo made 31 saves in the loss.

The Ice Dogs made the playoffs for the first time in three seasons and knocked out the defending champion Idaho Steelheads in the first round, including a blowout 7-2 series finale in Boise.

Long Beach finished the regular season with a record of 43-20-9, a 44 point improvement over last season and good for 2nd place in the West Division and third overall in the ECHL.

For more information on season tickets for the 2005-2006 season, call (562) ICE-DOGS or visit www.icedogs.com.

 

Ice Dogs Head to Playoffs

by: Josh Marks

On Mar. 23 Sebastien Centomo made 26 saves as the Ice Dogs beat Gwinnett at home in their first ever match up. Long Beach then split two games against the San Diego Gulls on March 25 and 26, losing the first away game 2-0 and winning the home game 5-2. The win pushed the Ice Dogs into 2nd place in the West Division with 86 points.

On Mar. 26 at the Long Beach Arena the Dogs lost a 7-3 game and sole possession of 2nd place to Bakersfield. The Condors and Ice Dogs are tied at 86 points.

The Ice Dogs host the first place Alaska Aces tonight at 7:30 p.m. They play the Victoria Salmon Kings on Saturday, Apr. 2, at 7 p.m.

Playoff tickets are on sale as the Ice Dogs will make their first ever appearance in the Kelly Cup playoffs.
The team went to the Turner Cup Finals in the 96-97 season – their first in Long Beach. To order playoff tickets log on to www.ticketmaster.com or call (213) 480-3232 or (714) 740-2000 to charge by phone. Fans can also go to any Ticketmaster outlet or visit the Long Beach Arena box office to buy tickets.

Info: (562) ICE-DOGS.