Coleman and Gentile Called up to AHL
January 11, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
Alaska Aces goaltender Gerald Coleman and defenseman Brandon Gentile have been called up to the American Hockey League, Aces Head Coach Rob Murray announced on Wednesday. Coleman was loaned to the Lake Erie Monsters, while Gentile was loaned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The first-place Aces will continue their home stand on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with a trio of games against the Stockton Thunder. Tickets are on sale for all three games at Sullivan Arena. For more information, please call the Aces at 907.258.ACES or visit them online at www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey.
Coleman, 26, is in the midst of his second straight terrific season with Alaska. The 2011 ECHL Goaltender of the Year currently leads the ECHL with 17 wins, going 17-4-2 and is third in the league with a 1.80 GAA and .931 save percentage. He is tied for second in the league with three shutouts, and ranks fourth in minutes played, despite missing six of the last eight games with injury. Last year the Evanston, IL native put up a 30-15-1 record, with a league-best 2.19 GAA and .913 save percentage. He tied for the league-high in wins, becoming one of just 46 goaltenders in the 23-year history of the ECHL to reach the 30-win plateau in a season. He also tied for the most shutouts in the league with four. He was named to the All-ECHL First-Team and was the ECHL Goaltender of the Month for March. The 6'5", 210 lbs. goaltender only got better in the post-season, with an 11-1 record, a 1.73 GAA, and a .938 save percentage. He led the playoffs with three shutouts. Earlier this season, Coleman became the fifth goaltender in league history to win the ECHL's Goaltender of the Week award in back to back weeks.
Coleman is in his seventh year as a pro, and has spent time in the AHL each season of his career. He played at least one AHL game in his first five seasons, and last year was recalled to Peoria for nearly a month, though he never saw action. The Monsters will be the sixth AHL team that Coleman has dressed for in his career, joining Springfield, Portland, Worcester, Lowell, and Peoria. In addition to his 81 career games in the AHL, Coleman also played two games for the Tampa bay Lightning in the NHL in the 2005-2006 season. Coleman was a seventh round pick of the Lightning in the 2003 NHL Draft.
Gentile, 24, is in his third pro season and second in Alaska. He currently has 12 points (2g, 10a) in 33 games this season, and ranks a +12 while adding 53 penalty minutes. He ranks third in defenseman scoring, and third on the team overall in PIM. The 6'0", 196 lbs. defenseman is a physical force for Alaska as one of the team's biggest hitters. He appeared in 40 regular season games last year, missing a lengthy stretch during the middle of the year with an injury. Gentile had 8 points (2g, 6a) in the regular season, and appeared in 11 more post-season games. This is Gentile's first call up to the AHL, and he is set to make his debut on Friday night when the Sound Tigers travel to Manchester to face the Monarchs.
Prior to coming to Alaska, the Clarkston, MI native played for the Flint Generals of the IHL, where he led all Generals defensemen in scoring. Gentile has made a habit of being a part of championship teams in his playing career. He captured his first professional championship with the Aces last season, and has reached the finals in both seasons as a pro. Before turning pro, Gentile won an NCAA National Championship in 2008 with Michigan State University. He was also a member of the 2005 USA U-18 IIHF World Championship team.
The first-place Aces will continue their home stand on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with a trio of games against the Stockton Thunder. Tickets are on sale for all three games at Sullivan Arena. For more information, please call the Aces at 907.258.ACES or visit them online at www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey.
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