Aces, Steelheads collide in ECHL Final Four
April 30, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Having reached the National Conference Finals for the third consecutive year, the Alaska Aces will have home ice advantage against the Idaho Steelheads in a best-of-seven series for the right to play for the ECHL championship.
The conference finals open Monday and Tuesday, May 7-8, in Anchorage at 7:15 p.m., before the series shifts to Boise for Game Three May 11 and Game Four May 13, with both road games set to begin at 5:10 p.m. ADT. Alaska finished with a 3-1-2 record during the regular season against Idaho. The Aces and Steelheads have met four times in the postseason, with Idaho winning the last three, including the only ECHL confrontation with Davis Payne behind the Alaska bench. The Steelheads eliminated the Aces three games to one in the 2004 Pacific Division Finals on their way to the Kelly Cup.
In each of the last two seasons, Idaho has fallen in the first round when victory would have meant a second-round date with Alaska, last year's Kelly Cup champion and a conference finalist (losing in Game 7 at home to eventual league champion Trenton) in 2005. In the old West Coast Hockey League, when their match-ups all were best-of-five series, the Steelheads eliminated the Aces in four games in 2002 and in three straight in 2001. The Aces won in four games when the two clubs met in Idaho's first year as a pro team, 1998.
Alaska returns to practice Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday in preparation for Idaho, who eliminated the Brabham Cup champion Las Vegas Wranglers with a 1-0 victory Sunday night. Tickets for next Monday and Tuesday's games at Sullivan Arena are on sale at the Aces office during regular business hours as well as online at www.alaskaaces.com, Ticketmaster, or at participating Fred Meyer locations. All 2007 Kelly Cup playoff games will be broadcast live on the flagship home of Aces hockey, KFQD 750 AM, with every road contest during the postseason being simulcast on GCI Cable Channel 1.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE FINALS (#2 Alaska vs. #4 Idaho)
Game 1: Idaho at Alaska Monday, May 7 7:15 p.m.
Game 2: Idaho at Alaska Tuesday, May 8 7:15 p.m.
Game 3: Alaska at Idaho Friday, May 11 5:10 p.m.
Game 4: Alaska at Idaho Sunday, May 13 5:10 p.m.
Game 5: Alaska at Idaho Tuesday, May 15 5:10 p.m.*
Game 6: Idaho at Alaska Saturday, May 19 7:15 p.m.*
Game 7: Idaho at Alaska Sunday, May 20 7:15 p.m.*
*if necessary ALL TIMES ADT
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