Aces end home slide with 5-3 win over Idaho
February 11, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Peter Metcalf had a goal, an assist, and most importantly, perhaps the save of the year, helping preserve a 5-3 Alaska victory over Idaho Sunday in front of 4,004 at Sullivan Arena.
The Aces came into the game looking to avoid their first five-game losing streak at home in six years, and Michael Lambert gave them immediate life with his first goal in an Alaska sweater, a backhander on the power play at 4:15 of the opening frame, assisted by Metcalf and Bo Cheesman. Felipe Larranaga, naturally a defenseman but used at forward for much of the Idaho series, notched his first goal of the season five and a half minutes later to push the margin to 2-0. Idaho's league-best power play figured to have a decided advantage against Alaska's ECHL-worst penalty kill, and indeed, Matt Craig scored off the rush with 7:07 left in the first period on a Steelheads power play, pulling the visitors to within 2-1 at the break.
Metcalf went coast-to-coast midway through the second period and beat Idaho starter Kellen Briggs with a wrist shot underneath the glove, leaving the score 3-1, but John Lammers answered with another power play goal for the Steelheads at 12:50, his sixth goal of the series. With two minutes remaining in the period, however, Cheesman deflected an outlet pass by Idaho's all-star defenseman, Darrell Hay, and the puck caromed directly to Lambert, who whipped a pass back to Cheesman for a tap-in, the latter's fifth goal in six games and team-leading 23rd of the season.
The Steelheads cut the gap to 4-3 just 4:34 into the final period on a goal by Taggart Desmet, and appeared poised to tie the game when a simple dump to the corner slammed off the dashers and beyond the reach of Alaska starter Mike Brown, who watched helplessly as Mike Sullivan prepared to flick home the equalizer. But to Sullivan's left, Metcalf came charging in front of the shot and deflected the puck wide with his glove, keeping the Aces in front to stay. Olivier Filion's empty-netter with 28 seconds left in regulation secured Alaska's victory, only its third in the last 11 games.
The Aces (22-19-5) travel to Stockton for a pair against the Thunder next weekend, with Saturday's opener scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. AT face-off and Sunday's tilt at 3:00 p.m. AT. Alaska plays at Fresno Tuesday, February 19 at 6:00 p.m. before returning home for a three-game series against Las Vegas, beginning February 22. All regular season games are broadcast live on Alaska's flagship station, AM 750 KFQD, with coverage beginning 15 minutes prior to face-off.
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