ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Alaska Aces have signed a pair of rookie forwards out of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, Denver's Brandon Vossberg (pictured, courtesy Rich Clarkson & Associates), and Minnesota State's Jerad Stewart, to one-year deals for the 2010-11 season.

The 25-year old Vossberg helped the Pioneers achieve a #2 national ranking and the top seed at last year's NCAA East Regional, where they were stunned in the first round by RIT and finished 27-10-4.  A 6-2, 205-pound penalty killing specialist out of St. Paul, Minnesota, Vossberg scored once and assisted on six other goals in 36 games (including a three-point night in a 5-2 win over Michigan Tech Feb. 19) and, along with former Ace Dion Knelsen, was a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award.  He finished his collegiate career with 22 points (9g-13a) in 125 games and earned Denver's Community Award in each of his four seasons.  Prior to joining the Pioneers, Vossberg racked up 109 points (46g-63a) in 117 games for Santa Fe in the North American Hockey League.

Stewart, a 22-year-old from Hastings, Minnesota, played against Vossberg for four years at Minnesota State-Mankato, finishing second on the Mavericks in scoring last year with 25 points on 13 goals (tied for the team lead) and 12 assists.  He scored four goals and assisted on another in an 8-2 rout of UAA at Sullivan Arena last November 20, and scored twice each in wins at Bemidji State Dec. 11 and against RIT at home January 1.  His junior campaign was highlighted by a game-winning overtime goal against Wisconsin.  Stewart's career totals with the Mavericks included 28 goals and 24 assists in 144 games.  As a high schooler in 2005, Jerad earned his conference's Offensive Player of the Year Award in football and was a two-time all-state honorable mention pick on the gridiron.  His older brother, Jason, was drafted in the sixth round by the New York Islanders in 1994 and eventually played two full seasons in the ECHL.

The Aces open at home for both the preseason and regular season this year.  October 5 and 6 mark the fourth annual Cancer Awareness Games at Sullivan Arena, with Stockton invading Sullivan Arena in a rematch of last year's opening round ECHL playoff battle.  Games against Utah October 15-16 lift the lid on the 2010-11 regular season.  Face-off for all four games has been scheduled for 7:15 p.m.  Season tickets are now on sale at the Aces team offices, located at the corner of 15th and Gambell, between 9am-5pm.