Aces storm back late, take first home loss since Oct. 18
November 16, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Kane Lafranchise and Evan Trupp each collected a goal and an assist en route to a third period rally that fell shy in the dying seconds and the Las Vegas Wranglers skated away, 4-3 over the Alaska Aces (9-3-0, 18 points) before 5,400 fans at Sullivan Arena on Friday.
The Aces, who took their first home loss since Oct. 18, nearly rallied from a pair of two goal deficits and outshot Las Vegas, 12-1 in the final period. Robbie Smith earned a key goal in the third period which stood as the game winner while Mitch O'Keefe made 31 saves in net for Las Vegas.
Matt Tassone put the Wranglers up 1-0 with 8:39 left in the first period on a power play goal, finishing Charlie Cook's backdoor pass at the left post. Nick Mazzolini's fourth goal of the season leveled the game just 2:02 later when he re-directed Evan Trupp's feed past O'Keefe's blocker.
The Aces, who had outscored the opposition 19-1 in the second period this season, fell to their biggest deficit in the second on back to back goals by Geoff Irwin and Carlo Finucci.
At 8:52 of the second period, Irwin blasted a slap shot which knuckled past Olivier Roy from the left circle and Finucci negotiated his way around the Aces defense at 12:03 while on the rush, finishing with a wrister through Roy's five hole from beneath the circles.
Lafranchise drew the Aces to within a goal at 7:22 of the third period, beating O'Keefe from the left circle. But Smith responded for a 4-2 Las Vegas edge just 2:53 later when skated to the goal mouth and jammed a rebound past Roy's blocker.
It set the stage for a wild finish, beginning with the Aces earning a power play late in the game when Geoff Paukovich was called for elbowing on a hit behind the Las Vegas net on Brendan Connolly. Just ten seconds into the power play and with Roy pulled for an extra attacker, Connolly hammered a one timer on net that O'Keefe couldn't control. Trupp stashed the rebound with 1:16 remaining to cut the deficit to 4-3.
The Aces pulled Roy again and pressured the Las Vegas zone for the game tying goal. Corey Syvret earned one last chance in the final seconds that O'Keefe turned away to close the game.
Roy took the loss on 18 saves in his Aces debut.
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