Aces Slip Past RoadRunners 4-3 In A Shootout
March 21, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners News Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Tomas Kana and Luke Erickson scored the only two goals in a shootout to lead the Alaska Aces over the Phoenix RoadRunners 4-3 Friday night in front of 3,618 fans at US Airways Center.
The Aces (41-22-3) got on the board first at 3:42 of the first period when Colin Hemingway scored with two seconds left in a power play from the slot. Lance Galbraith and Nick Tuzzolino assisted. The RoadRunners (27-32-5) tied up the game at 1-1 when Michael Cohen scored off a rebound by Chase Trull at 11:10. Daniel Sisca had the other assist as the tie would hold through the first intermission.
"We started out sluggish," RoadRunners' Head Coach Brad Church said, noting that the Aces had the first eight shots on net in the first period. "But we responded well to their first goal."
Phoenix took a 2-1 lead at 14:45 of the second period when David Rutherford scored five-hole on Alaska goalie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux from the bottom left circle. Mark O'Leary and Peter-James Corsi had the assists. Scott Burt tied up the game for the Aces when he stripped the puck from RoadRunners' goalie Kyle Jones behind the net and scored at 19:39 while shorthanded. Phoenix was able to take back the lead before the end of the period though when Mitch Carefoot scored with four seconds left from the right circle on the power play. John McNabb and Jim Jorgensen assisted.
"Instead of going into the intermission on a low we responded with a big goal," Church said. "We entered the third with a lead and had a couple chances to make it a two-goal lead but didn't."
Alaska tied up the game at 3-3 at 10:03 when Brett Hemingway scored from Kana. Both teams pushed to win the game in regulation but the game went to a scoreless overtime and then a shootout where Alaska won with Kana and Erickson getting the only goals.
"We made two big mistakes; a turnover behind the net and blown coverage on the rush," Church said of the game. "A shootout is a tough way to lose a game."
Alaska out-shot Phoenix 39-28. Jones stopped 34 shots but suffered the shootout loss to fall to 7-13-2 on the season. The RoadRunners went 2-6 on the power play while Alaska was 1-4 with the man-advantage.
Notes: Phoenix pulled within nine points of fourth place Utah in the West Division with three games in hand and two head-to-head match-ups after the Grizzlies lost 4-1 at Bakersfield. The RoadRunners did fall six points though behind the Condors for the eighth and final playoff spot in the National Conference.
The RoadRunners close out a busy week with a visit to Citizens Business Bank Arena at 7:00 p.m. Saturday to meet the Ontario Reign. Catch all the action on Independent 1310 KXAM beginning with "RoadRunners" Countdown" at 6:45 p.m.
Phoenix returns to US Airways for the regular season home finale at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, March 28 when they welcome in the Alaska Aces.
Great seats are still available beginning as low as $8 and can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (480) 784-4444, purchasing online at ticketmaster.com or visiting the US Airways Center Box Office. Information on season tickets, half-season packages, and flex plans for the 2008-09 season of Phoenix RoadRunners Hockey are available by calling (602) 462-GOAL.
ECHL Stories from March 21, 2009
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