Alaska Stuns Victoria with Five in the Third, Leads Series 3-0
Published on April 30, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
VICTORIA, BC - Colin Hemingway scored twice as part of a four-goal blitz in less than six minutes as Alaska erupted for five unanswered third period goals in a 5-2 win at Victoria in front of 4,449 Wednesday at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre.
The Aces lead the best-of-seven West Division Finals three games to none and are now one win a way from a fourth trip to the conference finals in the last five years. Alaska bids for the clean sweep Friday at 6:05 p.m. AT., broadcast live on KFQD 750 AM, with Peanut Farm Pre-Game Show coverage beginning at 5:45 p.m. If necessary, Game Five has been scheduled in Victoria Saturday at 6:05 p.m. AT.
For only the second time in the playoffs, the Aces fell behind, and for the first time, trailed for a signifcant portion of the game, as Olivier Labelle re-directed a shot by Gary Gladue past Alaska goalie J.P. Lamoureux three minutes into the contest. Labelle then found an open Chris St. Jacques in the slot with 1:19 left in the first period, and the wrist shot that followed beat Lamoureux top shelf and gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at the break.
A scoreless second period followed, but after stopping the first 20 shots he faced, Victoria goalie Todd Ford gave up four goals in a five-shot sequence early in the third. Hemingway's first goal came on a wrister from the left circle that put Alaska on the board at 2:57, and was followed 38 seconds later by Scott Burt's equalizer off the rush, another wrist shot that sailed past Ford's blocker.
Josh Soares gave Alaska the lead for good at 5:21, assisted by Cam Keith and Hemingway, and when Hemingway's muffin from just inside the blue line trickled through Ford's pads with 11:14 left in regulation, the visitors had turned a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 advantage in a span of 5:49. After the Salmon Kings failed to convert a five-minute major penalty for slashing whistled against Matt Stefanishion, the hosts drew another power play, only to see Vladimir Novak turn out the lights by scoring shorthanded with 2:09 to play.
The Aces scored their five goals on 11 third period shots against Ford, who surrendered just four goals on 141 shots (.972) in a four-game sweep of Idaho but now has given up 13 goals on 69 shots (.812) in this series. Alaska, winners of 10 of its last 14 games on the road and 22 of 27 overall, has beaten Victoria in nine of their previous 10 meetings, nine of which were played in Anchorage. Friday, the Aces look to sweep a postseason series for the sixth consecutive year.
WEST DIVISION FINALS (all times AT):
(Aces lead best-of-7, 3-0)
Game 1: Alaska 3, Victoria 0
Game 2: Alaska 8, Victoria 2
Game 3: Alaska 5, Victoria 2
Game 4: Friday, Alaska @ Victoria 6:05
Game 5: Saturday, Alaska @ Victoria 6:05 (if necessary)
Game 6: Tuesday, Victoria @ Alaska 7:15 (if necessary)
Game 7: Wednesday, May 6 Victoria @ Alaska 7:15 (if necessary)
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- Stingrays Return Home This Weekend - South Carolina Stingrays
- Alaska Stuns Victoria with Five in the Third, Leads Series 3-0 - Alaska Aces
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