Aces Gain Revenge on Long Beach, Dube

March 8, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Carl Drakensjo and Paul Williams scored twice as the Anchorage Aces broke a 3-3 tie with three goals in the final 13 minutes of a 6-3 win over Long Beach before 3,567 Friday at Sullivan Arena.

Williams opened the game's scoring midway through the first period by deflecting a centering pass from Ty Jones past Ice Dogs' starter Mike Buzak for a 1-0 lead. Long Beach did not register a shot on goal in the first 14 minutes of action, but Jeff Attard tied the contest at 14:31 by tucking a backhander underneath the pads of Anchorage goaltender Christian Soucy. Drakensjo provided the Aces with a 2-1 edge after the first period by swiping the puck from an Ice Dogs' defenseman an immediately snapping a shot that beat Buzak glove side with 1:49 showing on the clock. The shorthanded goal offered a harbinger of things to come for the anemic Long Beach power play, which finished 0-for-3 with two shorties against on the evening.

The Ice Dogs responded with a shorthanded goal of their own to deadlock the game five minutes into the second period, as Attard fed Tyler Willis for a one-timer. Drakensjo answered with a power play goal (his fifth tally in three games) at 15:02 that spelled the end of the night for Buzak, who appeared to pull a groin muscle and departed with 17 saves on 20 shots. In came Danielle Dube, who had become only the third female goaltender to win a pro game with a 6-4 decision over Anchorage January 11 while wearing a Bakersfield sweater.

After being held to six shots through the first two periods, Long Beach suddenly found itself tied at 4:21 of the final period when Chris Carlson, a Long Beach native appearing in just his third pro game, snapped a wrister that beat Soucy from the top of the left circle. But three minutes later, Valdemar Pelikovsky registered his first pro goal on a shot that was deflected by an Ice Dogs' defenseman before it caromed off the stick of Dube and into the back of the net for what proved to be the game-winner. Jason Modopoulos rammed home a rebound shortly thereafter to push the margin to 5-3, and the Aces had turned a tie game dramatically in their favor with two goals in 67 seconds. Williams added the final flourish to Anchorage's second win in 10 tries against Long Beach this year with his second of the night at 17:41.

Head coach Perry Florio ran his personal record to 4-2-1 and at 16-41-3 overall, the Aces can dig their way out of the cellar with two more regulation wins over the Ice Dogs (17-36-4). Anchorage outshot Long Beach 36-14, its best differential this year and by far (the previous low had been 23) the fewest shots it had allowed all season. Christian Soucy needed to post just 11 saves to pick up the win in net. Tomorrow, the 3rd annual Guns n' Hoses game will be played at 4:00 p.m. prior to the 7:00 p.m. rematch with Long Beach. Sunday's series finale is slated for a 5:00 p.m. start. All games are broadcast live on KFQD 750 AM and at www.anchorageaces.com, with Jack Michaels calling the play-by-play. Coverage begins 20 minutes prior to the opening face-off, presented by GCI.



ECHL Stories from March 8, 2003


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