Reversal of Fortune: Aces Thump \'Runners 6-1

by Andrew Nordmeier
January 12, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners


One night after beating the Alaska Aces 3-0, the Phoenix Roadrunners found themselves down to Alaska by that same score as the Aces went on to wallop Phoenix 6-1 Wednesday night at the US Airways Center.

"There wasn't anything positive besides putting on their equipment and getting out there," Phoenix Assistant Coach J.J. Daigneault said. "I don't think any players can look in the mirror and say they brought the same intensity that they brought yesterday."

Alaska (26-5-3) scored three goals in each of the first two periods en route to get back within two points of the Las Vegas Wranglers for the top spot in the ECHL.

"We're used to having more success than that (3-0 loss the night before)," Alaska Head Coach Davis Payne said, "We were pretty uncomfortable losing."

The Aces got first period goals from Vladimir Novak on a wrister past Phoenix netminder Michael Mole at 2:49, Joe Talbot's breakaway tally at 4:03 and Talbot striking again at 16:45 when his shot squeezed between Mole's glove and the crossbar.

The second period proved to be much the same for Phoenix (10-22-2) as Alaska kept piling on the goals.

Doug Lynch's wrister found the net on Mole's glove side at 4:02 to make it 4-0 Alaska and force the Roadrunners to change goaltenders. Mole went out and Ryan Cyr made his Phoenix debut.

Phoenix forward Joe Dusbabek deflected a wobbling puck past Aces' goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu at 4:51 to make it 4-1 and Phoenix swapped netminders again.

Mole gave up goals to Cam Keith on a tip-in at 6:14 and a Barrett Heisten backhander at 14:12 that came at a sharp angle and trickled through his pads to close the scoring. Olivier Filion picked up three assists to help the Aces get back into the win column.

Payne said that this was the first day during the Aces' eight-game 11-day road trip that the team didn't have to travel heavily. Getting some relaxation mentally and physically helped the Aces have an edge.

Alaska outshot Phoenix 32-23. Neither team cashed in on the power play as Alaska went 0-for-3 and Phoenix 0-for-2 on the man advantage.

After a day off Thursday, these two teams wrap up their three-game series Friday night at the US Airways Center on the Roadrunners' First Annual Mullet Night.

The question that the Roadrunners will need a little time to mull it over is which team is the real Roadunners, the ones that beat Alaska 3-0 on Tuesday or the ones that lost 6-1 tonight.

"I wish I could answer that question," Daigneault said," We'll probably know that answer after Friday's game."

Three Stars

3. Heisten-AK Goal and an assist

2. Filion-AK Three assists

1. Talbot-AK Two goals

Notes: Prior to the game, Phoenix traded goaltender Mathieu Chouinard to the Bakersfield Condors for goaltender Ryan Cyr and right wing Justin Quenneville. Both made their Roadrunner debuts in this game though Cyr got on the ice for 49 seconds, his first appearance since mid-December...Talbot has seven goals in his last seven games...Phoenix last picked up back-to-back wins Dec 4-9 when they beat Long Beach and San Diego in road games...Attendance was 2,948.



ECHL Stories from January 12, 2006


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