Anchorage Daily News

The Alaska Aces endured their first near-Heimlich moment of the ECHL hockey season, and survived.

Thanks to goaltender Scott Reid's shootout heroics and the winning shootout goal from rookie center Nick Mazzolini, the Aces persevered Saturday night after twice coughing up three-goal leads and won 5-4 at Stockton.

Alexandre Imbeault and Mazzolini scored in the six-round shootout, which the Aces won 2-1. Reid stopped five of six Thunder shooters.

The dramatic sweep of the two-game series -- the Aces won 4-3 Friday on Ryan Turek's goal with one tick left in overtime -- improved Alaska to 7-3-1 and snapped Stockton's five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1).

The Thunder slipped to 4-5-2 on a night when they drew 9,392 fans to Stockton Arena.

Aces winger Colin Hemingway scored two goals to extend his point streak to 10 games and the Aces blitzed Thunder goalie Bryan Pitton for three goals on seven shots in the opening 11 minutes.

Hemingway initiated the onslaught by driving the net three minutes into the game and jamming home what began as a simple dump-in by defenseman B.J. Crum.

Imbeault deepened the damage by beating Pitton five-hole five minutes later, and defenseman Nick Tuzzolino raised the count to 3-0 when he beat Pitton with a blast from atop the right circle.

Stockton managed to stem the bleeding on captain Craig Valette's power-play strike while the Thunder enjoyed a two-man advantage 15 minutes into the period.

Still, Hemingway countered less than four minutes into the second period on the rarely seen short-handed goal despite a two-man disadvantage. Hemingway's shortie was his second of the season -- he also has assisted on two shorties -- and the Aces' sixth in 11 games this season.

But just when the Aces seemed to be cruising, their familiar nemesis -- penalties -- reared up. And Stockton took advantage with power-play goals from Chris D'Alvise and James Bates in the last seven-plus minutes of the second period to pull within one goal at 4-3.

Jason Pitton pulled the Thunder into a 4-4 tie when he scored less than two minutes into the third period.

The Aces today play at Ontario to wrap their three-game road trip.

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

Aces 3 1 0 1 -- 5

Stockton 1 2 1 0 -- 4

First Period -- 1, Aces, C. Hemingway 5 (Imbeault, Crum), 3:14; 2, Aces, Imbeault 3, 8:33 (pp); 3, Aces, Tuzzolino 2 (Crum, Kana), 11:02; 4, Stockton, Valette 3 (, Pitton, Yellow Horn), 14:45 (pp). Penalties -- Imbeault, Aces (delay of game-puck over glass), :53; Valette, Stockton (cross-checking), 6:48; Imbeault, Aces (slashing), 12:47; Burt, Aces (holding), 13:22; Burt, Aces (holding), 15:35; Hunt, Stockton (interference), 18:48; Constant, Stockton (roughing), 19:36; Fraser, Aces (roughing), 19:36.

Second Period -- 5, Aces, C. Hemingway 6, 3:44 (sh); 6, Stockton, D'Alvise 6 (Eizenman, MacAulay), 12:34 (pp); 7, Stockton, Bates 6 (D'Alvise, Eizenman), 18:44 (pp). Penalties -- Bendfeld, Stockton (slashing), :14; Galbraith, Aces (goaltender interference), 2:11; Turek, Aces (delay of game), 3:35; Marcoux, Stockton (slashing), 6:35; Crum, Aces (hooking), 11:43; Emmerson, Stockton (roughing), 11:43; Stefanishion, Aces (roughing), 11:43; Blackwater, Stockton (hooking), 13:17; Crum, Aces (hooking), 18:33.

Third Period -- 8, Stockton, J. Pitton 2 (Power), 1:52. Penalties -- Burt, Alaska (roughing), 8:51.

Overtime -- None. Penalties --Valette, Stockton, major (charging), 2:53.

Shootout -- Aces 2 (Stefanishion NG, Fraser NG, Imbeault G, Galbraith NG, C. Hemingway NG, Mazzolini G); Stockton 1 (Yellow Horn NG, Bates NG, Eizenman G, Blackwater NG, D'Alvise NG, Pitton NG).

Shots on goal -- Aces 10-8-9-5--32. Stockton 14-14-7-3--38.

Power-play Opportunities -- Aces 1 of 6; Stockton 3 of 9.

Goalies -- Aces, Reid, 3-1-1 (38 shots-34 saves). Stockton, B. Pitton, 1-3-0 (32-28).

A -- 9,392 (9,644). T -- 2:47.

Referee -- J.M. McNulty. Linesmen -- Steven Berry, Kyle Mellor.

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