Aces roll in wire-to-wire effort, first period rush

Published on December 21, 2013 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Olivier Roy made 36 saves and the Alaska Aces (16-7-1, 33 points) used three goals in the first six minutes to roll over the Utah Grizzlies in a 5-1 victory before 4,466 fans at Sullivan Arena on Saturday.

The Aces, who improved to 4-1-0 in the series while outscoring the Grizzlies 12-4, were lifted each in three point efforts by Evan Trupp and Mathew Sisca. The Aces won their fourth straight home game and improved to 8-2-0 at Sullivan Arena in their second game of an eight game homestand.

Just 1:07 after the opening faceoff, Trupp hit a streaking Mele down the middle, who tucked a backhanded deke through the five hole of starting goaltender Nick Niedert, who would be pulled after surrendering three goals on his first eight shots.

Ross Ring-Jarvi boosted the Aces lead to 2-0 at 2:56 of the opening period when he finished Tim Coffman's rocket centering pass from the right circle. Anchorage native Eli Zuck then drove the net and deflected Nick Mazzolini's slap pass from the right circle through Niedert for his first professional goal, prompting Utah head coach Tim Branham to replace Niedert with Ben Meisner.

Utah got on the board with 8:55 left in the second period, during a delayed penalty, when Pat O'Keefe's one timer deflected off Kris Hogg and to the back of the net.

The Aces responded just 47 seconds later and after a highlight reel save by Olivier Roy, who denied Brent Gwidt by diving to his left on an open net bid at the left circle following an Aces giveaway behind the net. Trupp then countered by skating to the Utah goal mouth and getting a piece of Sisca's wrister off the rush for a power play goal and 4-1 lead.

Utah posed another threat by earning an eventual three-minute major power play after Mele collided with Vincent Scarsella in the third period. During four-on-four play, Sisca elevated the lead to 5-1 by taking Trupp's drop pass off the rush and blasting a wrist shot past Meisner at 10:08.

Niedert took the loss while Meisner made 18 saves for the final 53 minutes of the game.

NOTES: The Aces scratched Zach Davies, Sean Curry, Andy Taranto, Corey Syvret, Ben Parker and Shawn Skelly ... Sisca boosted his scoring streak to eight points in the last six games ... Trupp's power play goal broke an 0-for-17 drought for the Aces on the power play, vs. Utah ... Roy has appeared in every Aces game vs. Utah this season, going 4-1-0 with a 0.79 goals against average and .974 save percentage.

The two teams square off in the final game of the series tomorrow at Sullivan Arena at 7:15 p.m. (GCI Channel 1/KFQD). Season ticket and sponsorship packages are currently available through the Aces office at 15th & Gambell. For more information, please call the Aces at 907.258.ACES or visit them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey.

Three Stars:

1. AK - O. Roy

2. AK - T. Mele

3. UTA - K. Hogg

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