WASILLA, Alaska - Kelly Czuy scored a game-turning shorthanded goal and later assisted on the eventual game-winner as Stockton shrugged off a 1-0 deficit and deadlocked its best-of-five series against Alaska with a 5-2 victory before 1,734 Tuesday at the Menard Center.

The series shifts to Stockton for Games 3 and 4 Friday and Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. AT.  If necessary, a fifth and deciding game would be played at Stockton Arena Monday, April 12, at 6 p.m. AT.  All games will be broadcast live on KFQD 750 AM.  Tuesday's loss marked just the sixth for the Aces in 29 first round ECHL playoff games.  Alaska has advanced to at least the second round in each of its six trips to the Kelly Cup playoffs, and has appeared in four of the last five National Conference finals.

After a 4-3 Aces victory Monday night in the opener, Tuesday's Game 2 remained scoreless until the 11:19 mark of the second period, when Alaska defenseman Ryan Turek scored from between the circles.  The Aces had a chance to build on that lead in the final minute of the frame on a power play, but after a missed opportunity from close range, Czuy came the other way and rifled a wrist shot just underneath the crossbar with 34 seconds remaining.

The Thunder pounced on the Aces early in the third period, taking their first lead when Matt Marquardt slipped a wrist shot past Billy Sauer's glove at 2:26 and extending the margin to 3-1 on a power play goal by J.F. Caudron less than four minutes later.  Bryan Miller ripped a laser just inside the left post with 11:36 left to pull Alaska within a goal, but Jason Pitton answered with a perfect re-direction through Sauer's pads on a Jordan Bendfeld drive from the point at 15:26.  Anthony Aiello accounted for the final score with an empty-netter in the game's final minute.

The Thunder out-shot the Aces 34-30, with the teams combining for exactly half those shot totals in a back-and-forth second period that featured plenty of chances on both sides.  The loss marked just the second for Sauer, the reigning ECHL Goaltender of the Week, in his seven starts for Alaska.