Aces lose 5-1 in season opener

October 22, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho Steelheads reeled off four unanswered goals in the second period to erase a slim Alaska lead and roll over the Aces 5-1 in the 2004-05 regular season opener before a crowd of 5,044 at the Bank of America Centre.

Strong goaltending by starter Peter Aubry, who finished with 30 saves as the Aces were outshot 35-27 for the game and 12-5 in the opening 20 minutes, helped Alaska gain the lead after the first period. Jordan Cameron found designated sniper Chris Minard (39 goals last year for San Angelo in the CHL) in the slot at 15:56 for the lone tally of the period.

Idaho used its power play to take complete control in the second period, starting at 3:08 as David Morisset shoveled in a loose puck in front of Aubry to tie the game. After Louis Mass took a five-minute major for checking from behind and Idaho's Brett Draney was detected for slashing, the Steelheads scored in the resulting four-on-four situation, as Bobby Russell tapped in a loose rebound at 10:15. With the Steelheads still on the power play as a result of the Mass hit, Lance Galbraith stuffed in another rebound two and a half minutes later to open a 3-1 lead for Idaho. With 3:04 left in the period, Landon Bathe snuck back door and took a perfect pass from Draney to beat a helpless Aubry from point blank range for yet another Steelheads power play goal.

The Aces outshot Idaho 15-7 over the final 20 minutes but were unable to draw closer, even with three power play opportunities. Alaska finished 0-7 on the power play and saw the Steelheads push the final margin to 5-1 as Peter Metcalf's shot from the point was deflected twice on its way to the net with 6:44 left in the game. The Aces are just 2-7-1 in season openers, while Idaho improved to 5-3, with all eight of those games having been played in Boise. The Steelheads have never opened the season on the road.

Alaska and Idaho square off in the rematch tomorrow night at 5:05 p.m. AST. The game will be broadcast live on AM 750 KFQD and also can be seen on a pay-per-view basis at www.alaskaaces.com, courtesy of B2 Networks. The Aces will play their home opener October 29 against San Diego, in the first of a three-game set that continues Saturday and Sunday, October 30-31. The Friday and Saturday games begin at 7:15 p.m., with the Sunday match slated for a 5:05 face-off and featuring a postgame skate with the Aces, presented by KeyBank.



ECHL Stories from October 22, 2004


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