STOCKTON, Calif. - Leading 3-2 with nine minutes to play, Alaska surrendered five goals in a span of 6:42 and fell by score of 7-4 before a frenzied crowd of 4,212 Friday at Stockton Arena.

The Aces, National Conference champions a year ago, now trail the best-of-five series 2-1 and must win tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. AT in order to force a fifth and deciding game, to be played Monday night in Stockton at 6 p.m. AT.  Alaska has never lost a first round playoff series in the ECHL.  Tomorrow's game will be broadcast live on KFQD 750 AM, with coverage getting underway 15 minutes prior to face-off.

For the 13th time in their last 15 games, the Aces scored first, as Judd Blackwater set up Bryan Miller for a power play goal at 7:02 of the opening frame.  Thunder defenseman Ryan Constant answered with a power play goal of his own nine minutes later to create a 1-1 deadlock after the first period, which saw both teams combine for 32 shots on goal.  Former Ace Matt Robinson set Chris D'Alvise loose on a breakaway early in the second period, and D'Alvise beat Alaska starter Scott Reid with a backhander for the only goal of the frame at 1:42.

The Aces, who had ralled from a 3-2 deficit after two periods Monday night in the series opener, battled back in the third period, tying the game on Miller's second goal of the night just 36 seconds into the frame and regaining the lead at 5:47 when Dion Knelsen followed up his own rebound for the first goal of his seven-game pro career.  A delay of game minor set up the game-tying goal, which was credited to Stockton's Jason Pitton when his centering pass caromed off Alaska defenseman T.J. Fast's skate and through Reid's pads with 8:37 left in regulation.

Matt Marquart blasted home the go-ahead goal for the Thunder with 5:55 remaining, and when Kelly Czuy scored his third goal in as many games 39 seconds later, Stockton suddenly enjoyed a 5-3 lead.  But the Aces called time-out, then immediately responded, as Blackwater scored off the rush nine seconds after Czuy's goal to bring the visitors within 5-4.  D'Alvise scored in a four-on-four situation with 3:01 to play, however, and Constant drove home an empty-netter barely a minute later to finally put the game away.

The Thunder enjoyed a 46-43 advantage in shots (20-14 in the third period) and converted two of three power plays, while Alaska settled for one goal in five chances with the man advantage.  The last time the Aces rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win a playoff series was in the 2006 National Conference quarterfinals (also against Matt Thomas, then the coach of Fresno), but that was a best-of-seven.