Aces Roar Back To Earn Point

Published on March 11, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Alaska Aces rallied from a 3-1 third period deficit, eventually taking a 4-3 lead, before settling for a point in a 5-4 shootout loss to Ontario Wednesday before 3,681 at Sullivan Arena.

Alaska moves into a tie for fourth place with Stockton in the National Conference at 28-26-6 overall. With 62 points, the Aces remain one point head of both the Reign and Las Vegas, and three in front of Utah, which if the season ended today, would be the odd team out in a tightly compacted playoff race. Alaska remains unbeaten in its last 11 games at home (9-0-2) dating to January 9, while the Reign earned their first win in six tries at Sullivan Arena and pushed their unbeaten streak to ten (8-0-2). The teams meet again Friday and Saturday night at 7:15 p.m., with both games broadcast live on KFQD 750 AM. The first 2,500 fans arriving at Saturday's game will receive Home Depot Mystery Gift Cards.

Mike Egener and Sean O'Connor scored 62 seconds apart five minutes into the game to give the visitors a quick 2-0 lead, but Ontario failed to take advantage of a subsequent two-man advantage for 1:40 late in the first period and allowed the Aces back into the game by taking a series of penalties early in the second. Anthony Peluso scored his second goal in 17 games with Alaska to cut the gap to 2-1 on a power play at 4:29 of the middle frame, but the Aces drew no closer despite spending a total of 8:35 with the man advantage during the period and taking 17 of the frame's first 18 shots on goal. Egener's second goal of the contest pushed the Reign margin to 3-1 just before the break.

Already with six home wins to its credit when trailing after two periods, Alaska's rally began when Ontario defenseman Andrew Martens turned the puck over to Scott Burt at the Reign blue line, then watched helplessly as Burt beat Curtis Darling (34 saves) with a backhander on the ensuing breakaway. The 33-year-old captain now is tied for the ECHL lead with four shorthanded goals among his 11 for the season. Relentless pressure by the Aces eventually led to the equalizer, scored by Merit Waldrop (also his second in 17 games with Alaska) with 7:13 left in regulation after a perfect centering pass from Brock McBride. A turnover by Ontario defenseman David Walker led to another breakaway and the go-ahead goal, Eric Bogunicki's 17th with 4:09 remaining.

The Aces earned a power play with 2:51 left but took a too many men on the ice penalty 46 seconds later, allowing the visitors to pull Darling and eventually deadlock the contest at 4-4 when Michael Pelech buried his ninth of the year in a five-on-four situation with 1:35 showing on the clock. Neither club scored late in regulation or in overtime, when Martens beat Scott Reid (30 saves) but watched his shot carom off the post. For the thrid straight game, Ontario pulled Darling in favor of Mike Zacharias for the shootout, and for the second time, he delivered, allowing Nick Mazzolini to beat him in the first round but stopping the next four Alaska attempts. Meanwhile, Pelech scored in the third round and defenseman Chad Starling delivered the game-winner in the fifth as the Reign beat the Aces in the skills competition for the first time in three tries this season.

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