Gerald Coleman

The Alaska Aces pulverized the Kalamazoo Wings, 5-0 in game one of the Kelly Cup Finals on Saturday night at Sullivan Arena. Chris Langkow scored two goals and Gerald Coleman saved all 25 shots he faced for his third shutout of the 2011 postseason. Game two is Sunday night at Sullivan Arena. ECHL Most Valuable Player Wes Goldie scored his first goal in seven games for the only strike of the opening frame as Alaska outshot Kalamazoo 17-7 in the period. Langkow the gave the Aces a 2-0 lead on a timely goal with 57 seconds left in the second.

The defending Kelly Cup champion Alaska Aces have re-signed one of the biggest factors in last year's run to the championship. Gerald Coleman, the 2010-11 ECHL Goaltender of the Year, has committed for a second season with Alaska. After using four different goaltenders in the 2009-10 season, Coleman gave Alaska stability in net, winning 30 of 47 starts and posting a league-best 2.19 goals against average. Coleman also tied teammate Adam Courchaine for the ECHL high in shutouts with four.

The Kelly Cup Champion Alaska Aces have signed two more returning players from last season's title run. Defenseman Chad Anderson and forward Chris Langkow are coming back for another season. Those signings make it 14 returners from the 2010-11 season. Anderson, 29, is a physical presence on the blue line at 6'4" and 218 pounds. In his first season as an Ace, the former UAA Seawolf scored four goals with 25 assists, while helping Gerald Coleman lead the ECHL with a 2.19 goals against average.

Dan Kissel scored a pair of goals and tacked on an assist in a three point night as the Alaska Aces topped the Stockton Thunder 4-1. The Aces needed just five games to advance to the Conference Finals where they await the winner of the Wranglers and Steelheads. Dan Kissel provided the ice breaking goal at 11:13 of the first period to give Alaska a 1-0 advantage.  Two minutes later Steve Ward added a tally of his own which made the score 2-0. In the second period Jessie Fratkin would breath life into the Thunder cutting the Alaska lead in half with a horn sounding effort at the 3:14 mark of the frame.

Gerald Coleman collected his ECHL-leading third shutout of the season and Jordan Kremyr delivered a hat trick as the Alaska Aces extended their unbeaten streak to 11 games with a 4-0 blanking of the Utah Grizzlies on Friday night. With the victory, Alaska improves to a league-best 17-4-2 overall, good for 36 points, nine ahead of Utah for the lead in the Mountain Division. Wes Goldie opened the scoring for the Aces with his ninth of the season 4:55 into the opening period.  Kremyr gave Alaska a 2-0 lead on a shorthanded goal later in the period.

The Alaska Aces punched their ticket to the Kelly Cup finals in thrilling fashion, as Scott Howes buried the series clinching goal with 34.9 seconds left, lifting Alaska to a 3-2 victory over the Victoria Salmon Kings in game four of the ECHL's Western Conference finals. The win completes a four-game sweep of the Salmon Kings and keeps the Aces unbeaten in the postseason. It may have been a sweep, but they weren't easy games. However, the Aces proved clutch in all four contests. The win was Alaska's third of the series decided in the final 35 seconds of regulation or later.

Sparked by two goals in a span of 19 seconds, the Alaska Aces broke open a close game by scoring three times in the third period of a 4-0 win over the Stockton Thunder in game three of the ECHL Western Conference Semifinals.  The win gives Alaska a 2-1 series edge after the teams split the first two contests at Sullivan Arena. Ryan Cruthers gave the Aces a 1-0 lead with his first goal of the playoffs on a power play at 11:37 of the first period.  Gerald Coleman made 13 first period saves, and shut out the Thunder on 22 saves for the night.  But the game was still in doubt entering the third.

The Alaska Aces signed two more players this week as the team continues to build it's roster for the upcoming 2012-2013 season.  The glacier blue signed forward Bobby Hughes and goalie James Reid Thursday.  This will be the first stint with the team for Hughes who is entering his sixth pro season at the young age of 24.  Most recently the forward played in Germany where he scored 6 goals, added 9 assists, for 15 points in a short 10 game regular...

Nick Mazzolini delivered a highlight-reel assist on the tying goal and added an empty net goal in the final seconds to help the Alaska Aces to a 4-2 win over the Stockton Thunder in game four of the Western Conference Semifinals on Friday.  the victory gives Alaska a three games to one lead and can clinch the series Saturday in Stockton. Tyson Marsh scored his second career playoff goal and Steve Ward buried the game winner at 14:08 of the third period.  But with Alaska trailing 2-1 in the second period, Mazzolini turned in the play of the game when he swung behind the net as though he were about to attempt a wrap-around shot.  Instead, he passed the puck in front of the net to a wide-open Ryan Cruthers, who tied the game, 2-2. Gerald Coleman was again sharp in net, turning away 19 of 21 Thunder shots.  Stockton has managed only six goals in the first four games of the series.

4 out of 5 KTUU panelists agree:  The Alaska Aces trump all comers in the top stories stories of the year poll, just as they did to ECHL opponents during the regular and postseason.  The Aces run to the 2011 championship began with a roster overhaul in the summer of 2010 that landed the team, among others, sniper Wes Goldie, and goaltender Gerald Coleman.  All told, the Aces brought back only two players from the previous season.  Alaska started off...