Josh Soares' credentials as an ECHL sniper are so striking that his three straight playoff games without a goal, a quiet stretch that wouldn't merit a mention for most players, was actually considered something of a slump.

Good thing Soares didn't come up empty Friday night -- he might have had to start working on his retirement papers.

No such preparations will be necessary, though, after Soares' two first-period strikes spearheaded the Alaska Aces' 5-2 road win against Utah, which gave the National Conference champs a stranglehold on the West Division semifinal series.

Buoyed by a fast start, Soares' three-point night -- he also furnished a helper -- continued penalty-killing prowess and Jean-Philippe Lamoureux's 23 saves, the Aces seized a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Game 5 is tonight at The E-Center in West Valley City, Utah.

Soares, a first-team All-ECHL pick last season after scoring 36 goals for the Aces as a rookie, has been an itinerant skater this season. He spent the majority of the season one level higher in the American Hockey League, bouncing from Peoria to Manitoba to Chicago, often getting only spot duty at each stop. He played 12 regular-season games with the Aces, logging heavy ice time for them and scoring 11 goals and 22 points.

But when Soares didn't score a goal in the first three games of this series -- though he generated two assists and a plus-3 rating -- he felt like he wasn't contributing enough.

"It wasn't necessarily just the three games, but it was more or less since Christmas,'' Soares said by cell phone. "I've only scored two goals since (roughly) Christmas. It was a matter of getting my mind-set back.

"I was too used to sitting on the bench (in the AHL) and thinking, because I was only playing five to eight minutes a game.''

Aces coach Keith McCambridge said he sensed Soares was pressing, so he talked to him after practice Thursday following Alaska's 3-2 overtime loss the previous evening.

"He's had a really trying season in the AHL, being on a PTO (professional tryout contract), showing up at the rink every day not knowing if he still had a job,'' McCambridge said. "That's a tough way to live, not just as a hockey player, but as a person.

"Obviously, we know the numbers Josh has put up, we know his resume, and the other guys have a way, with no harm intended, of putting pressure on Josh, who puts enough pressure on himself. You can see it -- it's like they feel they have to pass him the puck.''

McCambridge counseled Soares to relax and enjoy himself in Game 4, and the center responded in short order.

After defenseman Tyson Marsh provided the Aces a 1-0 lead midway though the first period, Soares struck 80 seconds later, shoveling a Brett Hemingway rebound past Utah goaltender Michael Mole (21 saves) from point-blank range.

Utah's Vladimir Nikiforov answered on a breakaway 53 seconds later. But Soares, again stationed just off the left post, redirected Cam Keith's sharply angled centering pass over Mole's right shoulder in the last minute of the period for a 3-1 lead.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself to score and help out the guys every night,'' Soares said. "I know that's my job here, and if I don't score, I feel like I'm not doing my job.

"I felt like if I stepped up my game, everybody would step up their game.''

Soares has now scored 52 goals and 117 points in 86 career games with Alaska.

Other Aces did step up. Luke Erickson and Lance Galbraith scored goals, and Keith and Alexandre Imbeault each added two assists. And Hemingway, slipped into the lineup with Matt Stefanishion out with a bruised knee, furnished his assist.

Also, the Aces killed all nine Grizzlies' power plays and have wiped out all 20 Utah power plays in the series.

Plus, Soares heeded McCambridge's advice.

"He said, 'Have fun, and go out and play like you know how,' " Soares recounted. "And I think I did that.''

Find Doyle Woody's blog online at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.

Aces 3 1 1 -- 5

Utah 1 0 1 -- 2

First Period -- 1, Aces, Marsh 1 (Imbeault, Miller), 8:14; 2, Aces, Soares 1 (B. Hemingway, Keith), 9:34; 3, Utah, Nikiforov 1 (Sixsmith, Walsh), 10:27; 4, Aces, Soares 2 (Keith, C. Hemingway), 19:24. Penalties -- Hart, Utah (high-sticking), 1:08; Galbraith, Aces (holding), 2:13; Imbeault, Aces (hooking), 4:30; B. Hemingway, Aces, double minor (boarding, roughing), 19:40.

Second Period -- 5, Aces, Galbraith 2 (Imbeault, Soares), 14:20 (pp). Penalties -- May, Utah (high-sticking), 3:46; Shasby, Aces (interference), 11:47; Cheesman, Utah (interference), 14:00; Soares, Aces (delay of game, puck over glass), 16:40.

Third Period -- 6, Aces, Erickson 2, 1:03; 7, Utah, Sixsmith 2 (Beauchamp, Walsh), 1:23. Penalties -- Thauwald, Utah (interference), 1:29; Sertich, Utah (delay of game, puck over glass), 1:34; Miller, Aces (delay of game, puck over glass), 15:36; Shasby, Aces (slashing), 18:33; Sixsmith, Utah (roughing), 19:42; Martin, Aces (roughing), 19:42; Soares, Aces (delay of game, puck over glass), 19:50.

Shots on goal -- Aces 9-7-10--26. Utah 6-9-10--25.

Power-play Opportunities -- Aces 1 of 5; Utah 0 of 9.

Goalies -- Aces, Lamoureux, 3-1 (25 shots-23 saves). Utah, Mole, 1-3 (26-21).

A -- 5,692 (10,200). T -- 2:20.

Referee -- Geno Binda. Linesmen -- Nolan Rein, Scott Ingraham.

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