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Alaska Aces game notes

November 9, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


Offensive Offense:

The Aces squeezed a point out of the Great Salt Lake despite finding no answers for their power play woes and anemic offense in general. After a 4-1 loss to Utah Friday, Alaska scored its fourth power play goal in 55 chances to briefly take a 2-1 third period lead over the Grizzlies Saturday, but was unable to hold it, eventually bowing 4-3 in overtime despite a season-high 35 saves by Chris Beckford-Tseu. The Aces are tied with San Diego at the bottom of the 25-team ECHL in goals per game (2.25), but while the Gulls give up almost four goals per game and are 2-5-1, Alaska has remained in contention behind its superb team defense (28.6 shots against game, 5th-ECHL) and goaltending (2.13 GAA/game, 1st-ECHL).

West Division:

Alaska is in the midst of a stretch of 10 consecutive games against West Division opponents, with the four top teams out of six qualifying for the playoffs. And early on, at least, the West seems tougher than the Pacific, where only one team is above .500. The West's fourth-place team, Las Vegas, who invades Anchorage for a three-game series next week, improved to 4-1-1 last night with a 5-2 win over Pacific Division leader Fresno, the only team with a plus goal differential among the five California clubs.

Reacquainted:

Alaska and Idaho have not played since January 30, 2005, when the Aces won at home to take last year's season series 5-4-1. A much anticipated rematch in the division finals never materialized, as while Alaska advanced, the Steelheads never got there, losing in four games to Long Beach after making a tremendous push to finish third in the regular season. John Olver left as head coach following the season, but Idaho has not missed a beat, winning seven of its first eight games this year under Derek Laxdal to claim first place in the division heading into this three-game series.

After years of Steelhead domination, the arrival of Davis Payne has made this series hotly contested, with the Aces holding a 10-9-1 record against their rivals during the regular season, including a 4-6 mark at the newly christened Qwest Arena. Idaho eliminated Alaska in four games in the division finals on its way to the 2004 Kelly Cup. Overall, the Aces are 33-51-7 against Idaho during the regular season, 5-10 in the playoffs.

Aces Shuffle:

Beckford-Tseu ranks fourth among ECHL goaltenders with a 1.73 GAA and sixth with a .940 save percentage ... Alaska has scored five goals in Matt Underhill's four starts between the pipes, with his only victory coming on Opening Night, when the Aces scratched out two goals to beat San Diego 2-1 Alex Leavitt places third among ECHL rookies with 29 shots on goal ... defenseman Zack Fitzgerald, still the league's penalty minutes leader with 57, serves the third of his 10-game suspension tonight; he will return December 2 at Long Beach ... Alaska may be just a +1 in goal differential, but its record could actually be better; the Aces have managed just two points out of a possible six (0-1-2) in games that have been tied after two periods after going 11-5-2 in such situations last year.

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