Aces sweep Grizz, 6-2, advance to West Final
April 15, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - Vladimir Novak scored to snap a 2-2 tie late in the second period, and Chris Minard added a pair of goals in the third as the Alaska Aces completed a four-game sweep of the Utah Grizzlies by a score of 6-2 in front of 2,002 at the 'E' Center.
Alaska never trailed at any point in any game of the series, and took a 1-0 lead on a Mike Scott slap shot from the top of the left circle at 15:27 of the first period. Utah forged a 1-1 tie with 1:44 left in the period when Kris Kasper scored on a rebound, but the Aces answered with a power play goal of their own just 36 seconds into the middle frame, when Matt Shasby blasted a one-timer past Grizzlies goaltender Alfie Michaud.
Utah's last gasp came on a Ryan Kinasewich wrap-around at 6:03 of the second period, tying the game 2-2, but the contest turned dramatically 10 minutes later, when Joe Dusbabek turned the puck over directly in front of his own net and Novak poked home his second goal of the series for a 3-2 lead heading into the final period. The Grizzlies never recovered, as Minard scored Alaska's seventh power play goal of the series at 1:49 of the third and again in a four-on-four situation with 9:03 left in regulation. An empty-netter by Louis Mass with 2:33 remaining accounted for the final margin of victory.
Davis Payne has never lost a first round series in six playoff appearances as a head coach (three with Pee Dee, three with the Aces), and has gone 17-9 in the postseason behind the Alaska bench. The Aces will open the West Division Finals at home, against either Idaho or Las Vegas, Monday and Tuesday, April 24-25, with each of the first two games scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The Wranglers beat the Steelheads 5-4 in overtime Friday, but still trail that best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game Four in Boise tomorrow. Alaska went 4-2 against Idaho and 4-2-1 head-to-head with Las Vegas during the regular season.
All Alaska Aces games are broadcast live on KFQD AM 750 and at www.alaskaaces.com, where all West Division postseason games are available on a pay-per-view basis, courtesy of B2 Networks. All of Alaska's road games during the Kelly Cup playoffs also will be telecast live on GCI Cable Channel 88, with Jack Michaels calling the play-by-play and Anchorage sports anchor John Carpenter serving as the color analyst.
ECHL Stories from April 15, 2006
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- Rookies Pace Steelheads Past Wranglers, 4-2, Series Lead at 3-1 - Idaho Steelheads
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- Condors Preview: Pacific Division Semifinals - Game Three - Bakersfield Condors
- Pardy returns to Wranglers for game four - Las Vegas Wranglers
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Aces sweep Grizz, 6-2, advance to West Final - Alaska Aces
- 2-1 Overtime Win Propels Falcons to 3-0 Series Lead - Fresno Falcons
- Fresno Stuns Gulls In OT, Gulls Down In Series 0-3 - San Diego Gulls
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