Aces Ground Condors, 6-5

Published on January 10, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Six different players scored and Marek Schwarz stopped 46 shots as Alaska scored five first period goals, then held on for a 6-5 victory at Bakersfield before 5,316 at Rabobank Arena Friday night.

The win gave the Aces back-to-back victories for the first time since December 12-13 and allowed them to remain in a second place tie with Idaho (3-1 winners over Reading), 10 points behind West Division leader Victoria, who beat Ontario 5-2 for its 14th straight win. Meanwhile, Schwarz earned his first victory in four starts with Alaska this season and his first win of any kind since November 15, when he beat San Antonio as a member of the Aces AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen.

In an error-filled, often sloppy game, Alaska struggled defensively in the first 10 minutes, allowing a wide-open Mike Wirll to whip a wrist shot top shelf against Schwarz just 3:24 into the game. After Erik Fabian tied the contest four minutes later on a redirection that slipped five-hole behind Condors starter Yutaka Fukufuji, the Aces gave up an odd-man rush that ended with a virtual tap-in by Dave Bonk and a 2-1 Bakersfield lead at the 9:01 mark.

Alaska stormed back, scoring four goals in a span of 4:03 to take control, beginning when a centering pass from Tomas Kana caromed off Derick Martin's skate and past Fukufuji at 11:57. The Condors turned the puck over deep in their own end moments later, and Vladimir Novak found an open Brett Hemingway in front for the go-ahead goal at 13:17. 36 seconds later, Alexandre Imbeault blasted a one-timer by Fukufuji after another turnvoer, and the Aces surged to a 4-2 lead. Brett's older brother, Colin, scored his first goal in nine games with four minutes left in the period on another one-timer, set up by Bryan Miller, to cap the barrage, which chased Fukufuji from the net after the frame was complete.

Alaska surrendered 25 shots on goal in the second period but stayed comfortably in front, as Bonk's second goal of the game at 10:46 was answered less than two minutes later by Luke Erickson, who chipped a loose puck past Dave McKee, on in relief, for his third goal in four games. Leading 6-3 entering the third period, a misplay by Schwarz led to a shorthanded tally by Wirll, who fired home a rebound after Andrew Ianiero's shot had rung off the post. Although Matt Pope scored his 20th goal of the year on a loose puck in front of Schwarz with 30 seconds left in regulation, Bakersfield did not come close to getting the equalizer, and suffered its fifth straight loss despite out-shooting the visitors 51-43, including 40-24 over the final 40 minutes.

Once a house of horrors for the Aces (20-13-2), Rabobank Arena has proved most hospitable in recent years, as Alaska has won six straight dating to November 25, 2006. The teams play again tomorrow night in Bakersfield at 6:00 p.m. ADT, a game broadcast live on KFQD AM 750, with coverage beginning 15 minutes prior to the opening face-off.

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