Sullivan Arena

The 8th ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers avenged last season's playoff loss to the UAA Seawolves with a 5-0 win Friday at the Sullivan Arena. Immediately after a Gophers' power play, Erik Haula scored at 18:01 of the first period to give the Gophers the 1-0 advantage. Kyle Rau scored a second period powerplay goal, making the score 2-0.  Only 1:03 later, Mark Alt scored for the Gopher's again. Any hopes of a comeback were squashed thirty seconds into the third period, when Justin Holl found the back of the net to give the Gophers plenty of cushion with a 4 - 0 advantage.

The UAA Class of 2012 will celebrate its commencement ceremony on May 6 at the Sullivan Arena. The University of Alaska Anchorage said 2,172 students applied for graduation and at this weekend's ceremony and the class of 2012 will earn a total of 2,223 degrees or certificates. Kent Spiers is this year's student speaker, and the university said he's been involved in many student organizations, becoming an advocate for a various causes. Kent will earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology with a minor in environmental studies.

The Drake Bulldogs opened the men's portion of the Great Alaska Shootout Wednesday by defeating the Thunderbirds of Southern Utah, 78-59. Drake, based out of Des Moines IA, got 26 points from 6-foot-11 center Seth VanDeest. Shootout action at Sullivan Arena continues Thursday, with Houston Baptist going up against Arizona State at 5 p.m. The Sun Devils finished second in the Pac-10 conference last season and are the pick of many to win the tournament. The University of Alaska Anchorage debuts in the Shootout in the 7:30 p.m. contest against Weber State.

Wes Goldie buried two goals, his ECHL-leading 19th and 20th of the season, to lift the Alaska Aces to their 9th consecutive win, 4-1 over the Las Vegas Wranglers on Wednesday night at Sullivan Arena.  The winning streak is the longest in the league this season.   After Goldie tied the game at one in the second period, reigning ECHL player of the week Scott Howes gave Alaska its first lead only 2:45 later.  Both Goldie and Howes enjoyed three points on the night and Goldie now has five goals in the last two games.

Jarrett Konkle scored two third period goals to carry the Stockton Thunder past the Alaska Aces, 3-2 Sunday night at Sullivan Arena.  The win thwarts the Aces bid at sweeping the three-game series and gives Stockton its first victory over Alaska this season in six tries.  Alaska continues to receive strong play from rookie Chris Langkow.  The forward, named an ECHL all-star earlier this season, delivered a second period goal and has five points in the last three games.

Dan Kissel scored for the fourth straight game, while Kory Falite and Chris Langkow continued their strong play as the Alaska Aces took down the Las Vegas Wranglers, 4-3, in the opener of a huge three game series Thursday night at Sullivan Arena. Alaska now stands at 32-19-2 overall, one point behind the Wranglers for the top spot in the ECHL's Western Conference. Langkow assisted on Alaska's first two goals of the night, and buried a power-play strike in the second period to give the Aces a 3-1 lead.

The 2011 Kelly Cup Champion Alaska Aces will play their annual exhibition games against the ECHL's newest member. The Colorado Eagles will come to Sullivan Arena for a pair of preseason contests on Tuesday, October 4th and Wednesday, October 5th.  As has become tradition, the exhibitions will once again serve as a benefit for cancer awareness. The funds raised will go towards the American Cancer Society and Breast Cancer Focus Inc. The Aces will wear pink-themed jerseys for the games, and the ice itself will also be painted pink.  The visiting Colorado Eagles should prove to be a good test for the reigning Kelly Cup Champions.

The Alaska Aces jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over the Idaho Steelheads and held on to beat their ECHL rival, 4-2 to begin a three-game series at Sullivan Arena.  Alaska improves to 3 and 0 on the young season. Tyler Ruegsegger scored 14 seconds into regulation, and added another at 2:15 of the first period to lift the Aces.  His second goal ended the evening for Idaho's starting goaltender, Steve Christie.  After Garry Nunn's goal at 8:41 of the first, Idaho made a game out of it, closing to within 3-2 in the third before Dan Kissel put the game away with his third goal of the season with 4:23 remaining.

Matt Keetley of the Bakersfield Condors posted the first shutout of the Alaska Aces since January 18th as the Condors began a three-game series at Sullivan Arena with a 4-0 win.  Keetley's 42 saves sent the defending Kelly Cup champions to a third straight loss, now 5-3-0 overall. Matthew Sisca and Scott Freeman each tallied a goal and two assists for the Condors, who improve to 4-3-1. Scott Howes, the reigning MVP of the Kelly Cup Playoffs, made his season debut for Alaska after off-season shoulder surgery and finished minus one with four shots on goal.

One night after scoring a season-high in goals with eight, the Alaska Aces were blanked at home.  Ontario Reign goaltender Jean-Francois Berube made 22 saves to out-duel Alaska's Adam Courchaine in a 2-0 Ontario victory Saturday night at Sullivan Arena.  Courchaine made 29 stops in his season debut, but couldn't hold off a furious Reign charge that led to the go-ahead goal by Chris Cloud at 13:14 of the third period.  Ontario added...