Taranto's hat trick, Mosienko's pair of assists key Aces' blowout win
Published on February 16, 2014 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
ONTARIO, Calif. - Andy Taranto collected his first career ECHL hat trick and Tyler Mosienko earned a pair of assists in his debut to help the Alaska Aces (32-12-3, 67 points) blow out the Ontario Reign in a 6-2 victory before 9,584 fans at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Saturday.
The Aces, winning a battle between the ECHL's top two teams in convincing fashion, improved to 10-3-0 in the last 13 games. Peter Sivak, who had a goal and an assist, extended his goal streak to an ECHL best seven straight games. Evan Trupp, connecting on a line with Mosienko and Taranto, also picked up two assists.
They were forced to battle from behind early in the game. Gasper Kopitar's wrist shot from the right circle, off the rush, lifted Ontario to a 1-0 lead at 8:27 of the first period. Taranto answered with his fifth goal of the season for a 1-1 tie with 4:11 remaining. Mosienko muscled the puck off the boards to Trupp, who quickly snapped a centering pass to Taranto for a wrist shot from between the circles.
The Aces seized momentum after an 8-4 shots advantage in the first period with a pair of goals in 24 seconds. Brett Findlay generated a rebound off a wrister from the left circle and tucked his 12th goal of the season at 1:52 of the second period.
On the next shift, a rebound off a shot block produced a footrace and late two-on-one break for Taranto, who threw a sharp-angled shot under the crossbar from the right circle for a 3-1 lead.
Cameron Burt's power play goal with 8:09 to play in the period shaved the Aces lead to 3-2, but Ontario would be silenced the rest of the night.
Mosienko set up Peter Sivak from the right circle on a three-on-one rush with 5:28 elapsed in the third period for Sivak's 20th goal of the year and 4-2 lead. Just 2:35 later, Jussi Olkinuora fumbled Zach Davies' shot from the blueline after Sivak forced Ontario into an offensive zone turnover. Nick Mazzolini darted to the net and stashed his 18th goal for a 5-2 lead.
Taranto finished the hat trick effort and Trupp's saucer pass to the slot with a wrist shot over Olkinuora's glove with 1:57 remaining.
Gerald Coleman, who started his ninth consecutive game, earned the win with 16 saves.
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