Aces win 3-2 as Gomez shines in ECHL debut
October 30, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska â Scott Gomez fed Chris Minard for the equalizer late in the second period, then scored in the fourth round of the shootout, setting the stage for Charles Linglet's game-winner one round later in a 3-2 Alaska win over San Diego before a club-record crowd of 6,453 Friday at Sullivan Arena.
A standing-room-only crowd greeted Gomez, a two-time Stanley Cup winner and the 2000 NHL Rookie of the Year, with a deafening ovation during the pre-game introductions, then watched the two teams battle at a playoff pitch for most of the evening. After a scoreless, well-played first period, Alaska was the first team to break through as Keith McCambridge scored the 14th goal of his 10-year pro career on a loose rebound in the slot at 5:42 of the second. Darren Clark tied the game 1-1 with a power play goal for the Gulls at 14:15, and Billy Tibbetts jammed in his own rebound to give San Diego its first lead with 1:34 left in the period.
But that edge proved to be short-lived, as 24 seconds later, Gomez scooped up a loose puck along the boards and slipped a cross-ice pass to a streaking Minard, who tucked the puck past a beaten Trevor Koenig, who recorded 32 saves for the Gulls. The Aces outshot San Diego 12-9 in the third period and 34-28 for the game, but did not beat Koenig again until the shootout after a scoreless third and overtime. Tibbetts gave the Gulls an early lead in the second round of the shootout, but goals by Joe Talbot, Gomez, and Linglet in rounds three through five were answered only by Guillaume Fournier, as Alaska starter Peter Aubry claimed his first win as an Ace with 26 saves.
The Aces, who won their first home opener since October 20, 1996 in a game that took nearly three hours to play, improve to 1-2 on the year while San Diego slides to 1-1-1. The teams square off again tomorrow at 7:15 p.m. and Sunday at 5:05 p.m., with Saturday's crowd certain to be a sell-out and more than 4,300 tickets already sold for Sunday.
The first 5,000 fans arriving tomorrow night will receive Thundersticks, sponsored by Costco. Sunday's series finale marks the first of seven "Sunday Skate with the Aces" promotions, courtesy of KeyBank. The first 2,000 fans arriving Sunday will receive the official KeyBank Alaska Aces Autograph Book. Both games will be broadcast live on AM 750 KFQD and also can be seen on a pay-per-view basis at www.alaskaaces.com, courtesy of B2 Networks.
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