Peoria edges Aces in OT, 5-4

Published on February 18, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


PEORIA, Ill. – Igor Valeev scored the game-winner 2:11 into overtime as Peoria rallied for a 5-4 overtime verdict over Alaska before 4,636 Friday at Carver Arena.

Peoria goaltender Alfie Michaud came into the game with a 1.98 GAA, second in the ECHL, but Alaska jumped on him early, beginning with the eighth goal of the year by Scott Gomez from an impossible angle deep in the left corner at 6:58. The Aces scored off the rush less than four minutes later, as Keith McCambridge followed up a Vladimir Novak tip with his third goal of the year at 10:29. The goal came in McCambridge's return to the lineup after he missed 14 games dating to mid-January while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. The Rivermen reduced the gap to 2-1 as Peoria captain Trevor Baker blasted a bouncing puck by Alaska starter Peter Aubry with 6:30 left in the opening period.

Novak, playing his first game since January 23, recorded his second assist with a perfect feed from behind the net to Joe Talbot, who beat Michaud for a 3-1 bulge just 33 seconds into the second period with what would turn out to be Alaska's only shot for the next 12 minutes. The Rivermen dominated over that period of time, tying the game on goals by Aaron Forsythe at 2:31, a wrister from the top of the left circle through a screened Aubry, and Brian McCullough's backhander at 10:25 on a two-on-one, set up by Baker. McCullough appeared to give Peoria its first lead moments later, but the goal was waved off by referee Joe Ernst, and soon the Aces regained the advantage, as Talbot broke open between the circles and rifled a wrist shot by Michaud (who stopped just 20 of 24 shots) at 15:52 for a 4-3 Alaska lead heading to the break.

Only once before had the Aces failed to collect two points when leading after two periods, but Ed Hill tied the game for the Rivermen on a replica of Forsythe's goal. Hill's wrist shot from the top of the right circle found the top left corner against Aubry, and the game was once again tied with 5:41 left in regulation. The goal came after a stretch in which Peoria did not even manage a shot for more than ten minutes. Pressing up ice in overtime, the Aces turned the puck over at their own blue line, and Valeev elected to shoot himself on the ensuing two-on-one, beating Aubry (32 saves) blocker side with a wrister from the right circle.

Alaska moves to 29-15-5 heading into tomorrow's rematch with the Rivermen (23-17-6) at 4:00 p.m., a game that returns to flagship station KFQD 750 AM, with coverage beginning at 3:45. Immediately after tomorrow's contest, the Aces will bus to Dayton for a Sunday date with the Bombers at 10:00 a.m. on KFQD. Of course, all of Alaska's games on its swing through the Midwest also can be heard by logging onto www.alaskaaces.com.

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