Aces beat Condors on power play goal in overtime

And that's why they offered no apologies Saturday night for their miraculous 5-4 overtime victory against the Bakersfield Condors.

The Aces' first three-game series sweep since the opening weekend of the ECHL hockey season was generated in large part by a fortuitous bounce of the biscuit that allowed them to force overtime at Sullivan Arena.

With Bakersfield leading 4-3 and Alaska goaltender Frank Doyle on the bench for a sixth attacker, Aces center Evan Kotsopoulos rifled a dump-in on right wing as the clock neared the final minute of regulation. The puck hit a stanchion in the plexiglass and ricocheted directly on the Condors' net. Condors goalie Timo Pielmeier, who had left his net to play the puck, raced back to his crease and kicked the puck aside with his right pad. But Aces winger Judd Blackwater pumped a shot inside the left post to forge a 4-4 tie and rack his first pro hat trick with 63 seconds left.

"That's one way to get a hat trick," deadpanned Aces defenseman Nick Tuzzolino, who bagged a first-period, power-play goal.

Blackwater said he was merely trying to get the puck to the cage in hopes of generating a rebound.

"I knew there was someone going to the net and I just threw it on net, and luckily it got through," Blackwater said.

In overtime, referee Keith Kaval made a brassy call just 35 seconds into the five minutes of extra time. He whistled Bakersfield's Eric Regan for tripping Aces defenseman T.J. Fast as they raced back into the Alaska zone in pursuit of a loose puck that Doyle, a good 20-30 feet away from those skaters, easily moved back up ice.

On the ensuing power play, Derick Martin, a defensive stalwart seeing time with the man advantage because the Aces are so short-handed, blasted a one-timer.

"Coach (Brent Thompson) said, 'You get out there, just shoot -- keep it simple,' " Martin said.

Pielmeier made a pad save, but rookie center Brock McBride lifted the rebound past Pielmeier to set off a celebration in front of what remained of the announced crowd of 4,704.

"Great, great shot on net," McBride said of Martin's bullet. "I just tried to get my hands free, and I chipped it over the goalie's glove."

And, finally, the Aces (23-21-4), who played with just 14 skaters, two short of the maximum, found themselves two games above .500 for the first time since Dec. 4.

"It just shows hard work pays off, no matter how short you are on bodies," McBride said. "Everybody dug down. It's a team game."

Bakersfield (26-15-4) snapped its season-worst, four-game losing streak but is winless in its last five games (0-4-1). Although the Condors dressed a full lineup, they have about half a lineup up in the American Hockey League.

McBride's power-play goal marked the Aces' fourth in six opportunities Saturday, when Bakersfield scored twice on the power play and used goals late in the second period from former Aces center Gino Guyer and defenseman Chris Allen to seize a 4-3 lead.

Aces defenseman T.J. Fast played a critical role in Saturday's comeback -- he assisted on the game-tying and game-winning goals, and delivered four assists to give him 4-11--15 totals in the last 13 games.

Martin proved a pivotal player in Allen's go-ahead goal. He found himself in front of Doyle (30 saves) and feared he was screening his goalie, so he jumped as the puck approached. Allen's shot darted between Doyle's pads.

"I thought, 'I'll get out of the way,' but in doing that, I'm still screening him," Martin said. "The last game in Bakersfield, I stood there and it hit me and went in. Either way, you can lose."

Tuzzolino recalled that play in Bakersfield when he said the Aces deserved a break like the one they received on Blackwater's game-tying goal.

"It's about time we get a bounce," Tuzzolino said. "We were due. We were working for it."

Shuffling the deck

Blackwater's first goal came on a power play 80 seconds into the game, when center Nick Mazzolini's centering shot/pass deflected in off Blackwater's left knee for the first of Mazzolini's two assists.

The Aces played with just nine forwards and five defensemen, because defenseman Ryan Turek sat out after injuring his shoulder in Friday's 3-2 win. Turek said he's day to day.

With the Aces down a goal in the third period, Thompson basically shortened his bench to seven forwards in pursuit of the tying goal.

One of the Aces' fill-in forwards, Jimmy Dahl of Anchorage, caught a tough break. He drew a double minor for high-sticking from Bakersfield defenseman Chris Brooks late in the second period,and the stick to Dahl's face cost him parts of his two top front teeth.

Dahl, 28, the former Aces and UAA skater, said it's the first time he's so much as chipped a tooth in his hockey career.

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Bakersfield 2 2 0 0 -- 4

Aces 2 1 1 1 -- 5

First Period --1, Aces, Blackwater 17 (Mazzolini, Fast), 1:20 (pp); 2, Bakersfield, Ianiero 10 (Goulet, Regan), 7:32 (pp); 3, Bakersfield, Macenauer 4 (Eichenlaub, Menei), 10:31; 4, Aces, Tuzzolino 8 (Fast, Waldrop), 18:27 (pp). Penalties -- Lizon, Bakersfield (goaltender interference), :46; Martin, Aces (tripping), 6:52; Boguniecki, Aces (boarding), 14:04; Brooks, Bakersfield (hooking), 16:49.

Second Period -- 5, Aces, Blackwater 18 (Mazzolini, Tuzzolino), 5:10 (pp); 6, Bakersfield, Guyer 8 (Kemp, Naglich), 13:33; 7, Bakersfield, Allen 1 (Regan, Goulet), 16:42 (pp). Penalties -- Pielmeier, Bakersfield, served by Goulet (delay of game), 3:48; McBride, Aces (hooking), 6:14; Kotsopoulos, Aces (hooking), 16:08; Brooks, Bakersfield, double minor (high-sticking), 17:12.

Third Period --8, Aces, Blackwater 19 (Kotsopoulos, Fast), 18:57. Penalties -- Waldrop, Aces (hooking), 3:29; McBride, Aces (interference), 11:15.

Overtime -- 9, Aces, McBride 4 (Martin, Fast), 2:13 (pp). Penalties - Regan, Bakersfield (tripping), :35; Goulet, Bakersfield, misconduct (unsportmanlike conduct), :35.

Shots on goal -- Bakersfield 15-10-9-0--34. Aces 9-7-7-5--28.

Power-play Opportunities -- Bakersfield 2 of 6; Aces 4 of 6.

Goalies -- Bakersfield, Pielmeier, 19-13-4 (28 shots-23 saves). Aces, Doyle, 13-4-2 (34-30).

A -- 4,704 (6,396). T --2:26.

Referee -- Keith Kaval. Linesmen --Scott Sivulich, Steve Glines.