 |
| POWER
PLAY |
7TH
- 19.3 |
| PENALTY
KILL |
19TH
- 80. 4 |
| FORWARDS |
| JOSH
SOARES |
36-45-81
(-2) |
| KIMBI
DANIELS |
25-41-66
(-16) |
| BO
CHEESEMAN |
30-27-57
(+1) |
| DEFENSEMEN |
| PETER
METCALF |
7-53-60
(+13) |
| MATT
SHASBY |
9-31-40
(+9) |
| CORBIN
SCHMIDT |
5-21-26
(-8) |
| GOALTENDERS |
| DEREK
GUSTAFSON |
12-16-3
(1 SO)
3.70 GA
.879 PCT |
|
| MIKE
BROWN |
9-10-0
(0 SO)
2.97 GA
.905 PCT |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Alaska
vs Idaho |
|
|
SCHEDULE |
| 1 |
APR.
9 |
ALASKA
4 - IDAHO 1 |
SEED
5 |
2 |
APR.
10 |
ALASKA
6 - IDAHO 4 |
SEED
4 |
41-26-4
(87) |
3 |
APR.
12 |
IDAHO
2 - ALASKA 3 (OT) |
40-22-5
(90) |
| |
4 |
APR.
13 |
IDAHO
1 - ALASKA 2 |
|
| |
5 |
APR.
15 |
IDAHO
at ALASKA |
|
| |
6 |
APR.
17 |
ALASKA
at IDAHO |
|
| |
7 |
APR.
20 |
ALASKA
at IDAHO |
|
| Alaska
Wins Series 4-0 |
|
SERIES
PREVIEW |
| |
Boise, ID - All you need to know about the match-up between the Alaska Aces and the Idaho Steelheads is the Steelheads are the reigning Kelly Cup champions and Alaska is the team that Idaho dethroned last season. Alaska won the Kelly Cup in 2006. Idaho is going for their third Kelly Cup in team history having won the title in 2004 and 2007.
The only other ECHL franchises that have two or more championships are the South Carolina Stingrays and the now defunct Toledo Storm and Hampton Roads Admirals. Before the championship trophy was named the Kelly Cup in 1997, the trophy was named the Riley Cup. Hampton won two Riley Cups (1991 and 1992) and one Kelly Cup (1998). Toledo won the Riley Cup in 1993 and 1994. South Carolina won the Kelly Cup in 1997 and 2001.
Series Overview:
Idaho – The Steelheads are solid in net with two goaltenders that are in the top 11 in both goals against average and save percentage. Kellen Briggs and Matt Zaba have shared the goaltending duties and have not disappointed in net.
Idaho also has three players that are in the top 20 in scoring: Lance Galbraith, Marty Flichel and Taggert Desmet. Defensemen Darrell Hay is fifth in the league in scoring by a defenseman. Overall the Steelheads have four players with 20 or more goals, and five players with 10 or more.
Alaska – Josh Soares is the key for the Aces on offense. Soares, a rookie, led the team in points with 81, 15 more than teammate Kimbi Daniels. Soares was fourth in rookie scoring and seventh overall. Bo Cheeseman was second behind Soares in goals scored with 30, six behind Soares. The Aces had six players with 20 or more goals. Defenseman Peter Metcalf led all defenseman in points with 7 goals and 53 assists.
Intangibles
Both teams drew well at the game ranking 11th and 12th overall (Alaska 4717, Idaho 4,389) so there won’t be home ice advantage. Both teams have incentive having won the cup over the past two seasons.
Prediction
It is always tough to go against the defending champ and I am not about to go against Idaho now. Scoring is about the same level for both teams but Idaho has shown to be a better defensive team.
Contact the author at brian.jennings@prohockeynews.com |
|
| Game
1 |
Alaska
4 - Idaho 1 |
|
bt Brian Jennings - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Alaska
Leads Series 1-0 |
Boise,
ID - Alaska Aces goaltender Marek Schwarz turned
aside 47 of 48 shots to defeat the reigning Kelly Cup
champs on Idaho’s home ice 4-1 to take a 1-0 series lead
in the National Conference showdown of the ECHL’s last
two Cup champs.
After being outshot 20-12 in the first period, the Aces
got their first goal at 2:37 of the second period by defenseman
Corbin Schmidt and the Aces were off and running. Despite
being outshot 48-29 in the game, the Aces made the most
of their power play opportunities going 2 of 5 on the
night. The Steelheads went 0 for 8 on the power play,
constantly peppering Schwarz all night, including outshooting
the Aces 20-6 in the third period.
Game two will be Thursday night in Idaho, with the next
three games scheduled to be held in Anchorage, Alaska.
Contact the author at brian.jennings@prohockeynews.com |
|
| Game
2 |
Alaska
6 - Idaho 4 |
|
bt Brian Jennings - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Alaska
Leads Series 2-0 |
Boise,
ID - The Alaska Aces got off to a 5-0 lead and never looked back to take Game Two of the National Conference Quarterfinal series against the reigning Kelly Cup champion Idaho Steelheads who suddenly finds themselves slowly losing their reign as champs. Games 3-5 will be held in Anchorage, Alaska beginning on Saturday night.
Idaho goaltender Steve Silverthorn started the game for Idaho but was pulled after allowing three goals on five shots. Matt Zaba came on in relief and also allowed three goals on 16 shots.
Once again Alaska Aces goaltender Marek Schwarz was the man of the night turning aside 48 shots out of 52 on the night. In game one Schwarz had turned aside 47 of 48 shots.
The Steelheads outshot Alaska in every period of game two, and 52-21 on the night, including 25 in the second period alone.
Super rookie Josh Soares got the Aces off to a good start scoring 1:28 into the game, his second of the series. In fact, the Aces got goals from six different players on the night, while Idaho got goals from four different players.
The Steelheads went 1 for 8 on the power play, and are now 1 for 16 in the series. The Aces went 2 for 6. Francois-Pierre Guenette, a former seventh round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 2003, had a goal and three assists on the night to take the game’s honor as first star on the night.
Contact the author at brian.jennings@prohockeynews.com |
|
| Game
3 |
Idaho
2 - Alaska 3 (OT) |
|
bt Brian Jennings - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Alaska
Leads Series 3-0 |
Anchorage,
AK - The Alaska Aces’ Derek Martin played the
role of hero last night scoring at 2:34 of the second
overtime to send the 5,843 frenzied fans home with dreams
of another Kelly Cup. With the victory Alaska takes what
looks to be a commanding 3-0 lead in the series with a
chance tonight to sweep reigning Kelly Cup champion Idaho
Steelheads out of the playoff picture.
Both teams traded goals back and forth for the first two
periods to make the score 2-2. Idaho goaltender Matt Zaba
and Alaska Aces goaltender Marek Schwarz each faced 34
shots on the night. Olivier Filion and Michael Lambert
(power play) scored for Alaska while Lance Galbraith and
Taggart Desmet scored for Idaho.
 |
Very few penalties were called on the night. Alaska went
1 for 3 on the night while Idaho was only 0 for 4. Only
11 minor penalties were called during the course of the
game.
Martin, who is not known as an offensive defenseman, did
the one thing that few had a chance to do on the night:
shoot the puck and get it on net.
"I was just trying to get the puck on net,” Martin told
the Anchorage Daily News. “I think Lambert had the puck
behind the net, tried to make a pass in front. It went
off a guy's stick and came to me at the point.”
"There was a guy coming toward me, so I just took a shot.
The goalie was screened. He went down (in the) butterfly
(position) and didn't see it. That's the way it goes in
the playoffs.''
It sure does. Now all that the Aces have to do is win
one more time against Idaho and dreams of another Kelly
Cup title just might become a reality.
Contact the author at brian.jennings@prohockeynews.com |
|
| Game
4 |
Idaho
1 - Alaska 2 |
|
bt Brian Jennings - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Alaska
Wins Series 4-0 |
Anchorage,
AK - The Alaska Aces completed a four game sweep over the Idaho Steelheads by winning Game Four of the best-of-seven series 2-1. The victory officially ended Idaho’s reign as Kelly Cup champs.
Series MVP, Alaska Aces goaltender Marek Schwarz, made 27 saves on 28 shots to seal the win and the series. Idaho went back to last season's playoff MVP, goaltender Steve Silverthorn, but despite making 21 saves on 23 shots, his efforts were not enough as the Steelheads offense once again could not find and answer for Schwarz.
Idaho started the game off right by scoring 3:11 into the game on Mike Bomersback’s goal. Alaska would tie the game at 14:01 thanks to defenseman Ed Hill, and took the lead for good in the second period when Matt Shasby got his second goal of the series at 14:42.
Idaho outshoot Alaska 28-23 for the game, including 8-3 in the third period when it mattered most. Both teams were scoreless on a combined total of eight power plays.
With the rest of the National conference still competing, Alaska’s next opponent has not been determined, which means the Aces might not begin their next playoff series for another 11-14 days. The latest any of the remaining series can go is April 23rd.
Contact the author at brian.jennings@prohockeynews.com |
|
|
 |
|
 |
| POWER
PLAY |
6TH
- 20.4 |
| PENALTY
KILL |
6TH
- 84. 8 |
| FORWARDS |
| LANCE
GALBRAITH |
22-45-67
(+7) |
| MARTY
FLICHEL |
19-48-67
(+7) |
| TAGGERT
DESMET |
29-37-66
(+12) |
| DEFENSEMEN |
| DARRELL
HAY |
9-36-45
(+14) |
| BLAKE
FORSYTH |
6-18-24
(+24) |
| KORY
SCORAN |
5-18-23
(+1) |
| GOALTENDERS |
| KELLEN
BRIGGS |
17-11-0
(3 SO)
2.36 GA
.920 PCT |
|
| MATT
ZABA |
15-8-1
(3 SO)
2.64 GA
.915 PCT |
|
|
|
