WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – Mark Guggenberger made 31 saves through regulation and overtime and stopped all four shooters he faced in a shootout to lead the Alaska Aces to a 2-1 shootout win over the Utah Grizzlies on Saturday night from West Valley City, Utah. The Aces improved to 4-0 in games decided past regulation, and finished their six-game stretch with Utah going 4-2. The Aces improved to 20-8 on the season and won for the seventh time in the last eight road games.
The clubs opened the game with a scoreless first period, but set the tone for a physical, hard fought game. The clubs had two fights, and combined for 29 penalty minutes. Alaska outshot Utah 12-7.
The Aces broke the scoreless tie in the second on a highlight-reel goal from Zach Harrison. Harrison rushed the puck down the right wing and deked around Utah defenseman, Jimmy Martin and then stuffed the puck into the net at 6:42 to give Alaska a 1-0 lead. The lead held until the final minute of the period when the puck took an awkward carom off the glass in the Alaska zone and bounced in front of the Aces net. Brad Mills jumped on a rebound and scored from just outside the top of the crease at 19:10 to make it 1-1 heading into the third period.
The clubs combined for 19 more shots in the third period, with Alaska outshooting Utah 10-9, but neither team scored. Utah’s Bryan Cameron hit a post with three seconds left after the Aces turned the puck over in their own zone. Alaska received a power play in overtime when Utah captain Brad Mills took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and game misconduct, but the Aces could not convert, and the game went to a shootout. Alex Imbeault and Joey Crabb scored for Alaska, and Guggenberger was a perfect four-for-four to seal the win. The Aces became the first ECHL team to 20 wins with the victory.
Mark Guggenberger (13-5) earned the win, making 31 saves on 32 shots and stopped all four shooters in the shootout. Grant Rollheiser (5-4-2) made 36 saves on 37 shots and stopped one of three in the shootout, taking the overtime loss. The Aces went 0-6 on the power play and the Grizzlies were 0-1. Alaska outshot Utah 38-32 in the game.
The Aces return home for the final six games of the calendar year, beginning on Wednesday, Dec. 19 when the Stockton Thunder come to Anchorage for the first time this season to begin a three-game series.
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ONTARIO, Calif. – Kane Lafranchise scored his second overtime, game winning goal of the season 1:02 into overtime on Saturday night to cap off an Alaska Aces 4-3 comeback win over the Ontario Reign from Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. The Aces won for the eleventh time in their last twelve games, and finished their six-game road trip with a 5-1 record. Alaska improved their overall record to a league-best 16-5 on the season.
 
The teams played a fast-paced, but scoreless opening period. Alaska outshot Ontario 7-5 in the frame. Ontario had a goal waived off at 12:30 when the whistle blew before the Reign poked a rebound into the net on a goalmouth scramble.
 
The teams found the offense in the second period, combining for five goals. Ontario jumped on the board early with a pair of goals in the opening 61 seconds. Derek Couture scored on a rebound 24 seconds into the period to make it 1-0 Ontario. Kyle Clifford then scored a highlight-reel goal 37 seconds later to make it 2-0. Alaska fought back to even the score with a pair of goals midway through the period. Nate Thompson converted his own rebound at 10:23 to get the Aces within one. Zach Harrison then stripped Ontario goaltender JF Berube and wrapped the puck around and into the empty net, to tie the score at 13:34. Kyle Kraemer scored late in the second period to give the Reign a 3-2 lead entering the third.
 
In the third period, the Aces tied the game when Tommy Mele scored on a rebound at 11:12 following a sharp-angle Jarred Smith shot. The Reign outshot the Aces 10-9 in the period and the game went to overtime. In the extra session, Lafranchise scored at 1:02 on the first shot of overtime to give the Aces the 4-3 comeback win.
 
Gerald Coleman (4-0) earned the win making 22 saves on 25 shots. JF Berube (6-2-1) made 20 saves on 24 shots, suffering the loss. The Aces went 0-3 on the power play and the Reign were 0-3. Alaska was outshot by Ontario 25-24 in the game.
The Aces now return home on Wednesday night to host the Utah Grizzlies.
 
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WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – Nick Mazzolini forced overtime, scoring with 33.1 seconds remaining, and Zach Harrison scored his first career overtime game-winner, as the Alaska Aces beat the Utah Grizzlies 5-4 in overtime on Saturday night from the Maverik Center in West Valley City, UT.
 
Alaska won for the eighth time in nine games, upping their record to 13-5 on the season. They improved to 2-0 in games decided in overtime this year.
 
For the second straight night, the Aces were held without a shot for the first eight minutes, but goaltender Mark Guggenberger and the Aces defense held off the Grizzlies in the first period. Alaska then took the first lead of the game at 17:16 when Garry Nunn scored his fourth goal of the year on a rebound. The Aces outshot the Grizzlies 9-7 in the period.
 
The Aces scored early in the second period to extend their lead. Sean Curry tallied for the second straight game at 3:24 from the right circle on a set-up from Nate Thompson and Joey Crabb. Utah got within a goal when rookie defenseman Drew MacKenzie scored on a rebound at 10:48, cutting Alaska’s lead to 2-1. But the Aces reclaimed the two-goal advantage before the end of a period. Nunn scored his second of the night on a power play at 15:25 to make it 3-1 Aces after two periods.
 
The Grizzlies clawed back with three goals in less than four minutes to take the lead in the third period. Mitch Wahl, Brad Mills, and Colin Vock scored to turn the game around to make it 4-3 Utah. The Aces had a late power play, and pulled Guggenberger for an extra attacker. Nick Mazzolini scored for the fourth straight game on a goal mouth scramble with 33.1 seconds remaining to tie the game at 4-4 and force overtime. Alaska then completed the two-game sweep in Utah in the extra session when Zach Harrison scored for the second straight game from the slot at 3:36.
 
Mark Guggenberger (11-4) earned the win making 31 saves on 35 shots. Shawn Hunwick (4-5-1) made 27 saves on 32 shots, suffering the overtime loss. The Aces went 2-6 on the power play and the Grizzlies went 1-5. Alaska was outshot by Utah 35-31 in the game.
 
The Aces now travel to California next week to finish their five-city, six-game road trip. The Aces face Stockton on Wednesday, Bakersfield on Friday, and Ontario on Saturday before returning home on Friday, Dec. 5th to host the Utah Grizzlies.

LAS VEGAS – Mark Guggenberger made 26 saves and Joey Crabb’s shorthanded goal late in the second period helped the Alaska Aces hold off the Las Vegas Wranglers with a 1-0 victory on Wednesday night from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Aces improved to 6-4 on the season, and will wrap up their five-game road trip on Friday and Saturday with a rematch with the Wranglers.
The Aces and Wranglers played a scoreless opening period to start the hockey game. Alaska’s penalty kill had a big night, and it began with a successful kill of a two man advantage for 1:06 early in the game. The Wranglers outshot the Aces 10-8 in the period.
In the second period, the Aces penalty kill went offensive to break the 0-0 tie. Nate Thompson pestered Las Vegas captain Mike Madill on the fore check to create a turnover, and Joey Crabb scored from the high slot at 14:35 to make it 1-0 Aces. It was the third shorthanded goal this season by Alaska. Las Vegas thought they had tied the score minutes later on a different power play, but a goal from the crease was disallowed when referee Andy Thakcaberry lost sight of the puck and blew his whistle before Las Vegas scored. The Aces outshot the Wranglers 12-10 in the period and kept a 1-0 lead into the third.
Las Vegas had chances in the third period, but Guggenberger and company held their ground and hung on for their second 1-0 win in ten games this season. Guggenberger earned his second shutout of the year with the win.
Mark Guggenberger (5-3) earned the win, making 26 saves on 26 shots. Joe Fallon (3-2-1) took the loss, making 24 saves on 25 shots. The Aces went 0-4 on the power play and the Wranglers went 0-6. Alaska was outshot by Las Vegas 26-25 in the game. Comment@prohockeynews.com Follow us on Twitter @prohockeynews

STOCKTON, Calif. – Alaska Aces forward Brandon Dubinsky has been named the Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week for October 22-28, the ECHL and Aces announced on Wednesday afternoon. Dubinsky scored five goals, added two assists and was +4 last week as the Aces swept a three-game series against San Francisco.
 
Dubinsky, 26, had a power-play goal in a 4-1 win on Friday and followed that up with three goals and an assist in a 5-2 victory on Saturday. He ended the week with the game-winning goal and an assist in the Aces 3-2 win on Sunday. Dubinsky leads the Aces with six goals and nine points. His six goals are tied for the overall league lead and his 37 shots on goal are tied for second.    
 
A native of Anchorage, Dubinsky has 213 points (81g-132a) in 393 career National Hockey League games with the New York Rangers, who selected him in the second round (60th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. During the summer, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the trade that sent Rick Nash to the Rangers.
 
On behalf of Brandon Dubinsky, a case of pucks will be donated to an Alaska youth hockey organization by Sher-Wood hockey, the exclusive puck supplier of the ECHL. Since beginning its sponsorship of the award in 2000-2001, Sher-Wood Hockey has donated more than 27,000 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities.           
 
This weekend the club hits the road and begins a five-game trip away from Alaska, beginning in Stockton to face the Thunder on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
 
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Alaska Aces jumped out to an early lead and held off a late San Francisco Bulls charge to complete a three-game sweep with a 3-2 win on Sunday afternoon at Sullivan Arena. The Aces outscored the Bulls 12-5 on the weekend, and upped their winning streak to four games. Alaska improved their record to 5-2 on the year.
The Aces dominated play in the first period, and earned an early lead to pace the game. Alaska outshot the San Francisco 13-3 in the period and opened the scoring when Zach Harrison tallied his first of the year from the right circle at 12:47 of the period. William Wrenn then made it 2-0 with his third goal of the season at 18:40. In between the goals, Aces forward Joey Crabb was pulled off balance on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot, but the shot was wide on his opportunity.
The Aces added a quick goal early in the second, to extend their lead. Brandon Dubinsky scored his fifth goal of the weekend on a power play at 1:44 to make it 3-0.
Alaska looked like they would coast to victory with a three-goal lead, and hold the Bulls to just six shots through more than 38 minutes of play. But San Francisco got back into the game with a pair of late goals in the second period. Peter Sivak scored at 18:29, and then Evan Barlow scored on a wrap-around 33 seconds later. Barlow’s goal was originally waived off by referee Dan Jablonski, however after a conference with both linesmen and the goal judge, Jabolonski awarded the goal to the Bulls, making it a one-goal game entering the third. Alaska outshot San Francisco 11-6 in the period.
In the third period, San Francisco outshot the Aces 9-7 and had several point blank chances to tie the game, but Guggenberger was fantastic and kept Alaska in front for the win.
Mark Guggenberger (4-1) earned his fourth straight win, making 16 saves on 18 shots. Thomas Heemskerk (1-3-1) took the loss, making 28 saves on 31 shots. The Aces went 1-8 on the power play and the Bulls went 0-5. Alaska outshot San Francisco 31-18 in the game.