Aces finish off unbeaten trip with 6-4 win over Peoria

Published on February 24, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


PEORIA, Ill. – Chris Minard scored three times, giving him a league-high 37 on the year, as Alaska rallied past Peoria with three unanswered third period goals to claim a 6-4 verdict in front of 3,679 Thursday at Carver Arena.

Peoria struck first, as Randy Rowe scored on a couple of tip-ins at 7:25 and 8:23, respectively, for a 2-0 lead. Both re-directions came in traffic on shots from the point. Alaska answered just 24 seconds after Rowe's second goal, as Chris Heisten found Jordan Cameron in front for a one-timer that beat goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu.

The Aces tied the game at 2-2 when Minard scored his first of the night on a shorthanded breakaway with 9:15 left in the second period. Justin Maiser pushed the Rivermen back in front with his 12th of the year at 12:37, which actually was inadvertently knocked in by Alaska center Olivier Filion. Scott Gomez found Minard in the slot for a one-timer and the equalizer with 44.4 seconds left in the period.

Peoria took its last lead with 2:25 gone in the third period on a Brian McCullough wrist shot that fluttered by a screened Lance Mayes. But for the third, and final, time, the Aces came back to deadlock the contest at 4-4 when Charles Linglet banged in a rebound to end the Rivermen's ECHL-record streak of 71 consecutive penalty kills. His 20th of the year set the stage for Minard to complete his hat trick, which came directly off a turnover by Peoria deep in its own zone. The puck found its way onto the stick of Gomez, who feathered it to a wide-open Minard in the slot with 6:58 remaining. Alaska's first lead of the game would stick, and Joe Talbot sealed the deal with an empty-netter at 19:34 for his 22nd of the year.

Minard's hat trick, along with 35 saves by Mayes, who won his seventh consecutive start, kept Alaska's unbeaten streak intact at eight games (7-0-1, all against North Division teams) and ran its club-record unbeaten string on the road to 10 games (9-0-1). He also made a winner out of Jim Tobey of Anchorage, who will be headed to Honolulu courtesy of Hawaiian Vacations as part of the Aces "Hat Trick to Hawaii" promotion.

The Aces, now 33-15-5 overall and 20-3-3 over their last 26 outings, return home for a pair of West Division games against the Fresno Falcons at Sullivan Arena, Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. and Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m., when following the game, fans may participate in the KeyBank "Sunday Skate with the Aces." Coverage of all Alaska games begins 20 minutes prior to the opening face-off and also can be heard by logging onto www.alaskaaces.com. For information on purchasing 2005-06 season tickets, please call 258-ACES.

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ECHL Stories from February 24, 2005


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