The Alaska Aces completed their season-long home stand the way the spent most of it – by winning.  Dan Kissel scored a pair of goals to lead five Aces who scored in a 6-3 win over the Idaho Steelheads on Saturday night at Sullivan Arena.  Alaska finished the home stand 10-1 and now hits the road with a 24-4 home record.  The Aces improved to 30-6-5, 11 points ahead of Las Vegas for the Western Conference lead, and 17 points in front of Colorado for the top spot in the Mountain Division.  The Aces now embark on a season-long, 11-game road trip over the next month.  They return to the Sullivan Arena on February 17.  For more information, please call the Aces at 907.258.ACES or visit them online at www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey.   

Looking to rebound from their first regulation loss in more than a month the Aces got off to a quick start, outshooting the Steelheads 18-6 in the first period, and scoring the first goal of the game.  Nick Mazzolini got his 13^th goal of the year on a wraparound that deflected off of the knob of Jerry Kuhn’s stick and into the net at 4:24.  Idaho tied the score on an awkward shot from the left boards by Michael Neal that got past a screened Adam Courchaine at 10:58.  The Aces rebounded to take back the lead when Kissel scored his first on a two-man advantage at 13:16.  Idaho netminder Jimmy Spratt was briefly pulled in favor of Jerry Kuhn for 87 seconds before Spratt was reinserted into the game. 

Alaska continued their pace in the second period.  Kissel got his career-high 21^st goal of the season on another power play at 1:48 of the frame, and then Ethan Cox scored 14 seconds later on a redirection from the slot to quickly make it 4-1 Aces.  That chased Spratt again from the game as Kuhn finished the period.  Tommy Lange scored on a slapshot for Idaho at 15:25 to cut Idaho’s deficit to two goals, but Wes Goldie responded with a rebound goal from the top of the crease at 17:25 for his 23^rd goal of the season to get Alaska up 5-2. 

Kuhn was pulled and Spratt was reinserted into the game in the third period, and finished the contest for Idaho.  Early in the third Idaho’s Derek LeBlanc snuck a shot short side between Courchaine and the post at 2:03, getting the Steelheads within two once again.  However, Alaska put the game away with a Jordan Kremyr shorthanded breakaway goal at 15:35 to cap off the victory, and the terrific home stand.  

Adam Courchaine (13-2-3) earned the win, making 23 saves on 26 shots, while Jimmy Spratt (6-6) took the loss, stopping 28 of 33 shots against.  Jerry Kuhn (12-13-3) made 16 saves on 17 shots, not factoring into the decision.  The Aces power play went 2-4, while the Steelheads went 0-3.  Alaska outshot Idaho 50-26 in the game.

The Aces now embark on a season-long, 11-game road trip over the next month.  They return to the Sullivan Arena on February 17.  For more information, please call the Aces at 907.258.ACES or visit them online at www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey.