‘DOGS SNAP FOUR-GAME SLIDE WITH 3-1 WIN OVER ‘BEES

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. – Looking to snap a season-long four-game losing streak, netminder J.F. Perras and the Arizona Sundogs held the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees scoreless through nearly 48 minutes Saturday night en route to a 3-1 win at Dodge arena in Hidalgo, Texas.

Perras turned aside 34 shots for his and his team’s sixth win of the year as the Sundogs outshot the Killer Bees 47-35.

Having not led since the second period of a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Eagles on November 27, the Sundogs struck first Saturday with an early power-play goal to take a 1-0 lead.

Linus Fagemo picked up his seventh goal of the season on the team’s second power-play opportunity of the first period, banging at a loose puck in front of goaltender Andy Franck at the top of the crease following a Matt Hanson shot from the point.

Defenseman Mike Nesdill collected his 10th assist of the season on the play along with Hanson at the first period’s 5:55 mark.

Shots were 17-11 in favor of Arizona in the opening frame.

A pair of goals just 19 seconds apart midway through the second period helped the Sundogs to a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes of play.

Veteran defenseman Chris Bartolone netted his second goal in as many games with his club’s second power-play marker of the contest, fooling Franck with a blast from the top of the near circle at 11:59 from Jon Landry and Matt Foy.

Kyle Hood stretched the Sundogs’ lead to three 19 seconds later with his fifth of the year from defenseman Evan Shaw.

Rookie forward Joey Sides nearly made it 4-0 in favor of Arizona in the second half of the middle frame, ringing a shot of the post from between the circles off a Torren Delforte centering feed from the far corner.

The Sundogs outshot the Killer Bees 19-12 in the second for a two-period 36-23 advantage.

Daymen Rycroft ended Perras’ shutout bid eight minutes into the final period with his team’s lone marker of the game following tripping and hooking penalties to Kyle Hood and Konrad Reeder.

Stationed at the near point and with his team on a 60-second two-man advantage, Rycroft fired a one-timer past Perras for his eighth of the season from Jesse Bennefield and Nathan Ansell.

The Sundogs finished 2-for-8 with the man advantage while the Killer Bees converted once on 10 power-play opportunities.

Arizona improves to 4-0-0 when leading after the first period and 5-0-1 when leading after two periods of play.

Franck falls to 6-6-3 on the year after allowing three goals on 47 shots.