STOCKTON, Calif. - Despite a hat trick and an assist from Jarrett Konkle, Alaska saw first period leads of 2-0 and 3-1 evaporate in an 8-5 loss to Stockton that marked its first ever opening round defeat in an ECHL playoff series.

The Thunder claim just their second ever playoff series triumph and will advance to play the winner of the Victoria-Bakersfield series in the National Conference semi-finals.  The Aces, meanwhile, ponder their first postseason elimination in the month of April since 2004.

Konkle set up defenseman T.J. Fast's goal at 4:31 of the opening period to give Alaska a 1-0 lead, the 14th time in 16 games that the Aces had struck first (including all four games in this series).  Konkle then stole an outlet pass and scored himself 24 seconds later, whistling a wrist shot top right corner against Stockton goalie Andrew Perugini.  Former Ace Matt Robinson brought the Thunder within 2-1 on a power play goal at 5:50, but Konkle's second gave Alaska a 3-1 margin with 8:09 left in the first period.

Only 16 seconds after Konkle's second goal, however, Chris D'Alvise beat Aces starter Billy Sauer short side, and when James Bates deflected home an Anthony Aiello drive on another power play with 5:32 remaining in the frame the game was tied.  J.F. Caudron's goal off the rush 20 seconds later chased Sauer, who departed with just three saves on seven shots.  Stockton greeted his replacement, Scott Reid, by killing an Alaska power play, then pushing its advantage to 5-3 when Jason Pitton found Jordan Bendfeld streaking out of the penalty box for a breakaway.  Bendfeld beat Reid five-hole and the period ended with the Thunder having scored five goals on eight shots.

Garet Hunt increased the gap to 6-3 at 3:34 of the second period with a wrist shot from beyond the blue line that grazed Reid's glove and trickled into the net.  When Igor Gongalsky scored short side off the rush six minutes later, Reid's work was done (six saves on nine shots) and Sauer returned. 

Anthony Peluso scored to pull the Aces within 7-4 at 7:58 of the third period, but Robinson answered less than four minutes later to put the game out of reach.  A power play goal by Konkle with 5:10 remaining in the contest completed his hat trick and accounted for the final margin.  For the second straight night, Alaska fired a season-high number of shots on goal (45), while Stockton managed just 27.  Aces season tickets for the 2010-11 campaign remain on sale at the team offices, located at 15th & Gambell in downtown Anchorage.