Aces Top Victoria, Improve to 11-2-1

November 20, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


VICTORIA, BC - Alexandre Imbeault snapped a 3-3 tie midway through the second period and assisted on three other Alaska goals in a 6-3 win at Victoria before 4,168 Wednesday at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre.

The Aces have won five games in a row and are unbeaten in their last nine (8-0-1) in establishing a new team record for the best start to a season. At 11-2-1 (4-1-1 on the road), Alaska holds a seven-point lead over Idaho and Phoenix in the West Division. Wednesday's game proved to be a sloppy, penalty-filled affair, with the Salmon Kings scoring the first of their two goals with a two-man advantage to take what turned out to be their only lead of the night at 8:41 of the opening period. Olivier Filion, afer four years as a member of the Aces, ripped a shot past Alaska goalie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux from the right circle. The Aces forged a 1-1 tie on a power play of their own when Cam Keith punched home a rebound at 13:34.

Alaska took its first lead just 25 seconds into the middle frame when Victoria starter Todd Ford misplayed the puck behind his own net and then tripped, allowing Colin Hemingway to score the first of his two goals on the evening. Ford was pulled, and nine seconds later, Filion beat Lamoureux again from the right circle to tie the game 2-2. Matt Shasby scored on another rebound, this time against reigning ECHL Goaltender of the Week Jonathan Boutin, at 2:58 of the second period, but back-to-back penalties against the visitors led to another five-on-three opportunity for Victoria and Wes Goldie's 10th goal of the year, set up by Filion at 6:56.

Imbeault's go-ahead goal at 8:45 came off the rush from the left circle and did not appear to have much on it, and when Hemingway scored again on a similar shot three minutes later, Boutin had been touched for three goals on just seven shots and the Salmon Kings found themselves staring at a 5-3 deficit. Despite out-shooting the Aces 28-14 over the final two periods (35-26 total), Victoria never again beat Lamoureux, and Scott Burt's power play goal, Alaska's third of the night, eight minutes into the final period sealed its fate.

Lamoureux earned the victory with 32 saves in stopping a five-game unbeaten streak for the Salmon Kings, who fell to 4-5 at home and 7-7-1 overall. Shasby had two assists in addition to scoring for the fourth time in as many games, while Keith has enjoyed five consecutive multi-point games afer a goal and an assist Wednesday.

Alaska practices tomorrow at 9:45 p.m. ADT before two the weekend games against Victoria, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 6:05 p.m. ADT. Both will be broadcast live on the flagship home of Aces hockey, KFQD 750 AM, with Peanut Farm Pre-Game Show coverage getting underway 20 minutes prior to the opening face-off.



ECHL Stories from November 20, 2008


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