Brossoit's shutout, 4-goal surge gives Aces best 7-game start in ECHL play
November 3, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -Tommy Mele and rookie defenseman Brad Richard each buried two goals and goaltender Laurent Brossoit earned his first career shutout on 16 saves, helping the Alaska Aces cruise to a 5-0 victory over the Bakersfield Condors before 4,814 fans at Sullivan Arena on Saturday.
The win boosted the Aces to a 6-1-0 start, their best seven game start since entering the ECHL in 2003-04. The Aces doubled up the Condors in shots, 32-16 and have outscored the Condors 10-0 since the second period on Friday, when they rallied for a win after trailing 3-1.
Alaska, maintaining the top spot in the Western Conference, also won its ninth straight against Bakersfield, dating back to the 2011-12 season.
Richard's first professional goal lifted the Aces to a 1-0 lead 1:57 into the second period, starting a barrage of four goals in a span of 3:31. He took a feed from Evan Trupp in the slot and buried a wrist shot past Condors goaltender Paul Karpowich.
Mele's second goal, for a 2-0 Aces lead at 3:34, came when he drilled a wrist shot through traffic from inside the left blueline.
Bakersfield called a time-out, but the Aces continued to roll. Richard followed by earning his second goal just 39 seconds later on a jam play at the Condors net, set up by Nick Mazzolini and Peter Sivak, which rolled by the glove of Karpowich.
Bakersfield, the last team in the ECHL without a victory this season, then turned the puck over to Mele in their own zone. Mele skated down the slot, uncontested, and sniped another wrister past Karpowich for a 4-0 lead at 5:28.
The Aces puck possession ability allowed Brossoit to settle in, after he made eight saves to begin the game. Brendan Connolly then padded the lead to 5-0 just 2:27 into the third period when he finished a backhander at the left post after Karpowich turned away Tim Coffman's bid from the right circle.
NOTES: Scratches for the Aces included Corey Syvret, Eli Zuck, Sean Curry, Robert Farmer, Zach Davies and David Eddy ... Richard finished the game with three points and a +3 rating, suiting up in his second ECHL game ... Shawn Skelly made his regular season debut and was +1 with a shot on goal ... every Aces skater in the lineup finished with a +1 rating or higher.
The Aces will go for their seventh straight win and weekend sweep over Bakersfield tomorrow at 3:05 p.m. (GCI Channel 1/KFQD) from Sullivan Arena. Season ticket and sponsorship packages are currently available through the Aces office at 15th & Gambell. For more information, please call the Aces at 907 .258.ACES or visit them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey .
Three Stars:
1. AK - L. Brossoit
2. AK - B. Richard
3. AK - T. Mele
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