Ice Dawgs Are All Bite

A new year and a new opportunity. That's the outlook that the high school Ice Dawgs have entering the 2013 season with after a disappointing 2012 campaign.

Coming off a split with Havre on the road a week ago, the Ice Dawgs have a nice layover, which allows for some fine tuning on the ice before their next game at home on December 14.

Ice Dawgs goalie Harley Eliason likes the start his team has had so far and believes if the Dawgs work on the little things, a good season is ahead.

"We just have to work hard," said Eliason. "We've had a couple of good practices and some that weren't so good. We just have to keep pushing through those tough times and we'll be fine."

Ice Dawgs head coach Mike Eliason was happy to leave Havre with a split and feels that his team can match the physicality that Havre brings to the ice.

"It's always a good to take a split in Havre," said coach Eliason. "They come out to play and be physical, but that's fine with us because we can do that too."

With seven seniors returning to the squad this year, coach Eliason believes this team can bounce back from last year's disappointing season.

"We were a team that probably should have been a mid-packer, and we didn't live up to that," said Eliason. "This year I really believe we should be in the top third of our league and hopefully we're competing for a ribbon around our neck or something fun."

Ice Dawgs center Ryan Padden shares the same sentiments as his coach.

"If we go out and work hard in practice and do the little things, we'll be successful," said Padden.

The Ice Dawgs return to the ice on Saturday, Dec. 14, when they battle Havre once again at the Valley Event Center.

The first game is at noon. It will be followed by the second game at 6 p.m.