Anchorage Daily News

The Bakersfield Condors are usually the cure for anything ailing the Alaska Aces.

Not Wednesday.

The Condors beat the Aces 3-2 at Sullivan Arena to snap the Aces' 13-game unbeaten streak against Bakersfield, a stretch that dated back two years.

The Aces had won the last 10 games they had played against the Condors and had not been beaten in regulation by Bakersfield since Nov. 26, 2006.

Rookie Erik Felde, a winger who played mostly defense because of numerous Aces injuries on the blue line, scored both Alaska goals.

Bakersfield took its 3-2 lead about seven minutes into the third period when former UAA captain Charlie Kronschnabel gained a step on Aces defenseman Matt Shasby, another former UAA captain, on left wing and centered a backhand pass to Andrew Ianiero. Ianiero banged a quick shot past Aces goaltender Chris Holt.

The Aces played with just 14 skaters, two shy of the ECHL maximum, in large part because defensemen Lee Green and Mike Gauthier are out with shoulder injuries that will require surgery. Felde, a winger who has an extensive background as a defenseman, moved to the back line to give the Aces five blueliners.

They dressed just nine forwards, one shy of the usual complement, because rookie winger Mike Curry is not eligible to come off the injured reserve list until Friday's rematch with the Condors.

The dearth of defenders for the Aces meant the blueliners who did play logged heavy ice time. Shasby, for instance, logged 30:54 of ice.

After a scoreless first period notable only in that nearly nothing noteworthy happened, the teams convened a relative score-fest in the second period.

The Aces (13-6-1) jumped to a 1-0 lead when Felde used his speed to accept Luke Erickson's lead pass, split the Condors defense for a breakaway and whistle a high wrister past the blocker of Condors goalie Ryan Nie.

That advantage lasted all of 26 seconds before Bakersfield's Dale Reinhardt steered Matt Pope's behind-the-back pass just inside the left post to forge a 1-1 tie.

The Condors (7-9-3) gained a 2-1 lead on a power play 13 minutes into the period when defenseman Kevin Truelson sneaked in the back door and banged in Reinhardt's cross-crease pass.

Felde struck again to level the game 2-2. Stationed atop the right circle during a power play, he settled league-leading scorer Colin Hemingway's pass and ripped a rocket that hit the left pipe, richocheted off Nie's back and rebounded into the net. Cam Keith screened Nie on the play.

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