Chris D’Alvise scored a power play goal at 9:19 of overtime to give the Stockton Thunder a 3-2 win over the Alaska Aces on Saturday Night, evening the Western Conference Semifinals series at 1-1.  The series now shifts to California for next three games.   Game 3 is Wednesday night at Stockton Arena at 6:00pm AKT.  For more information, please call the Aces at 907.258.ACES or visit them online at www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey.   

The teams played a scoreless opening period for the second straight night, before the second period went down as one for the ages.  The middle frame action began with a spectacular save by Gerald Coleman to keep the game scoreless.  After a collision in the crease had knocked Coleman’s stick out of his hands and behind the net, he went to retrieve it after an Aces clearance.  A quick restart by Stockton sprung Jordan Fulton into zone with an empty net.  However, Coleman got back in time to lunge forward and miraculously get his left skate blade on Fulton’s shot from the slot to deflect the puck away.  The Aces took the game’s first lead on a secondary rebound from Brandon Gentile at 9:14.  Alaska extended the lead to 2-0 when Nick Mazzolini scored on a floated shot from the right point past a screened Olivier Roy 51 seconds later.  The goals were the first career playoff strikes for both players.      

Stockton responded quickly with consecutive strikes of their own.  Max Campbell scored his ECHL playoff leading fifth goal at 13:07 followed by a Kevin Baker marker at 15:20.  The clubs went into the second intermission tied 2-2.

Alaska outshot Stockton 15-6 in the third period, but could not get the lead back, and the game went to overtime.  In the extra session, Alaska was whistled for two penalties giving Stockton a pair of power play chances.  The Aces killed off the initial call, but with Tyson Marsh in the box for boarding, D’Alvise walked into the zone and lifted a wrist shot from the left circle off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net at 9:19 for his second overtime game winner of this postseason.    

Gerald Coleman (1-1) suffered the loss, making 26 saves on 29 shots.  Olivier Roy (4-1) earned the win, making 38 saves on 40 shots.  The Aces went 0-3 on the power play, while the Thunder went 1-4.  The Aces outshot the Thunder 40-29 in the game. 

The Western Conference Semifinals series now shifts to California for next three games.   Game 3 is Wednesday night at Stockton Arena at 6:00pm AKT.  For more information, please call the Aces at 907.258.ACES or visit them online at www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey.