Trip is no vacation for Lynx

When the Augusta Lynx unloaded the bus for their last game on Jan. 21, they were welcomed by sunny skies and 86 degrees in Estero, Fla.

When they unload for their game today, they will receive a slightly more chilly reception.

The Lynx arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, early Friday morning to temperatures more than 80 degrees cooler from those of south Florida.

It marked the beginning of an unprecedented 11-day road trip to the Northwest, including the team's first-ever games at Alaska and Victoria, British Columbia.

"Far away from here," coach Bob Ferguson said Wednesday, half-jokingly. "It seems like this trip has been looming like a black hole on our schedule for weeks."

Clearly, the Lynx aren't just stepping out of the South Division for the first time this season. They've gone about 80 driving hours out, and to places with a lot less sunshine and a lot more ice.

"It's going to be different," said Augusta captain Ryan Lang, who attended college at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. "There's not as much daylight, and it'll be cold for sure. The boys are having to pack a little bit differently for this one."

The trek began Thursday and includes 22 hours by plane, nearly six hours by boat and a few more by automobile. It ends when the team arrives in Augusta in the early-morning hours of Monday, Feb. 6.

"When the Super Bowl is on, we'll be on a boat crossing Puget Sound," Ferguson said. "But I definitely want to downplay any feeling that this is a vacation trip. This is not a tourist trip. It's not a bear hunt.

"We've got to take care of business and get some points."

Scheduled by the ECHL and paid for by the team, the trip was budgeted at $30,000. For some of the guys, the price tag and jet lag are worth it.

"I'm just so excited to be going home," said forward Joe Pereira, who is from British Columbia. "I haven't been home in a long time. These guys are my family for nine months, but it's always nice to go back and see the people who raised you.

"With me, I'm winding down my career, so obviously going into Victoria it might be the last chance my family has to watch me play," Pereira said. "I want to give them some lasting memories of my career."

Augusta (17-20-3) currently is sixth in the South. Alaska is second in the West and has lost just three times at home this season.

Victoria sits fifth in the West.

"On ice, we're going to have to make adjustments in Alaska, with their Olympic-sized rink," Ferguson said. "I think it's the only one in the league, and we've never played on one, so that's a big advantage for them."

With 10 points available, the trip is pivotal for the Lynx, who are holding down the last available playoff spot in the division.

"This trip is definitely huge for us," goaltender Jason Wolfe said. "With the division so close, we can't afford to drop two or three games in a row.

"If we have a bad trip, we could be out of the playoffs by the time we get back."

Reach Steve Sanders at (706) 823-3216 or steven.l.sanders@augustachronicle.com.