Aces drop conference finals opener, 3-2 to Fresno
May 9, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Jamie Holden stopped 32 shots and Luke Curtin scored the game-winner on a power play with 7:06 left in regulation as Fresno came from behind to steal Game One of the National Conference Finals, 3-2, before another sell-out crowd of 6,251 at Alaska's Sullivan Arena.
The Falcons had not beaten the Aces in six tries during the regular season, although all three meetings in Anchorage had been decided either in overtime or a shootout. With the league's leading scorer, Alex Leavitt, still out of the lineup due to injury, Alaska's power play continued to sputter, but its penalty kill snapped a scoreless tie early in the second period.
Fresno was in the midst of a five-on-three power play, when Kimbi Daniels stole a cross-ice pass and broke down the left wing before cutting in front of Holden and slipping a wrist shot just inside the right goal post at the three-minute mark of the middle frame. Fraser Clair tied the game 1-1 with a wrist shot from the left circle at 6:44, but otherwise, the period belonged to the Aces, who out-shot the Falcons 16-4 and regained the lead at 11:58 when Olivier Filion punched home a rebound of a Mike Scott shot that had clanged off the crossbar. Alaska entered the final period with a 2-1 edge, and had been 51-0, including six wins in the playoffs, when holding a lead after 40 minutes.
The Falcons got the equalizer when Scott Kelman won a battle along the end boards and slipped a centering pass to Derek Krestanovich, who scored five-hole on a backhander against Chris Beckford-Tseu (19 saves). The tie-breaking goal came on Fresno's first shot on net in five power play opportunities, as Curtin ripped home the winner from the high slot to give his club a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game Two scheduled for Wednesday night in Anchorage at 7:15 p.m.
The 2006 National Conference Finals will be broadcast live on KFQD AM 750 and at www.alaskaaces.com, where the games also are available on a pay-per-view basis, courtesy of B2 Networks. In addition, Games Three, Four, and Five (if necessary) will be telecast live from Fresno's Save Mart Center on GCI Channel 88, with Jack Michaels calling the play-by-play and John Carpenter serving as color analyst. Live coverage of each game begins at 6:15 p.m. AST.
ECHL Stories from May 9, 2006
- San Diego Breaks Last Year's Previous Record By More Than $20,000 - San Diego Gulls
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- 'Blades raise money for Charity with jersey auction - Florida Everblades
- Rays Promote Three From Within - South Carolina Stingrays
- Falcons Take Opening Game of Conference Finals - Fresno Falcons
- Aces drop conference finals opener, 3-2 to Fresno - Alaska Aces
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