ACES PULL THE PLUG ON POWERTIME

Sunday night the FLYING ACES welcomed POWERTIME to their new home, the Flemington Ice Arena. The ACES had never lost to POWERTIME and were extremely interested in continuing that tradition. Forward Bill Marcolini was on IR (upper body) and Eric Kusznier was a healthy scratch.

   On the ice the FLYING ACES were all over POWERTIME. Attacking with wave after wave of deadly assualt tactics while the P-TIME goalie, Ryan Dumont, was more than up for the challenge. His saves in the first kept this one much closer then it could have been. ACE forward, Steve Leoszewski, broke through first when line mate, Ryan Warn, hit him with a beutiful 'no look' pass. Kevin Smith added another later in the first to give his ACES a 2-0 lead.

   In the second POWERTIME attacker, Nick D'aniello, struck back with a nasty shorthanded goal to cut the lead in half. Moments later he came down the ice again on a huge breakaway opportunity that was stifled by ACE defensman, Ryan Bleck, who managed to catch D'aniello, pick his pocket and put the FLYING ACES back on the offensive.

   The third period was all ACES, starting with a leathal rebound goal off the stick of Matt 'Donny' Donahue. Next Nick 'The Brick' shut down another POWERTIME breakaway attack. Kevin Smith added another goal and Mike Petersen deposited two of his own. POWERTIME did manage a second goal off the stick of Mike Lasinski, but by then the ACES had already taken off.

   Ryan Warn was selected for First Star Honors for the third time in his ACE career. His 3 key assists were a huge part of the win. "We finally found our chemistry with one another, smooth passes and kept the flow alive. Looking like real hockey out there!" said Warn after the game. Josh Lovering, Mike Petersen, Kevin Smith, Steve Leoszewski and Kyle Turner had 2 assists each in the win. Darren and Craig Jones both had an assist, as did goalie, Nick Minarik.

   The mid-season mark finds Mike Petersen the ACES goal leader (9), assist leader (11) and point leader(20). Ryan Bleck leads the ACES with 14 penalty minutes and Nick Minarik leads with 4 wins (in 5 games) and a 3.00% GAA.

   

  Final notes... 1) As of now we have 9 orders for WBWII 100 Games Or The Cup ($10.00). If you want one let it be known. 2) Bleck's 100th game party has been MOVED to July 25 at 3ish. Only 1 ACE can't make it so far

PETERSEN AND TURNER TRICK PRIMATES

The FLYING ACES returned home from their three game road trip (1-2-0) Sunday night, Mothers day, to welcome the PRIMATES to the arena formerly known as Aspen Ice.

With Bill Marcolini on IR (upper body), Steve Leoszewski and Craig Jones healthy scratches and Scott Preston skating with the ACES' minor league affiliate, the Perkasie RED BARONS, the ACES found themselves short four skaters. But that was nothing compared to the PRIMATES depleted bench. Seven skaters and a goalie is all they brought to this contest... And the FLYING ACES pounced!

Lead by ACE point leader, Mike 'the Machine' Petersen and Kyle 'Turbo' Turner, the FLYING ACES lit up the PRIMATES with 12 goals in a 12-2 shelling. Petersen and Turner both had hat-tricks and 3 assists each. When asked about the offensive performance, Petersen said "I had originally wanted to score 7+ to beat the (ACES') current 6 goal record (held by Kevin Smith), but by the time we got to the second period it was obvious that the PREDATORS were running on fumes, so I think we started to see how many assists we could squeeze to pad the stats." Petersen had scored his 3 goals by the midway point of the second period. In the third period with a commanding lead, Captain Darren Jones decided to switch up the lines, sending defensemen up to attack and attackers back to D. When asked about this decision at the post game presser Jones said, "After 100 games with the same roles I think a change was needed for some players pigeon holed into the same positions. I think Weavsy and Bleck were ripe to play some wing and it made sense to send Smitty, Stockwell and a few others back to the blue line in return." 

The night ended with Mike Petersen collecting his seventh First Star Patch. Turner was a close second in the running with another elite performance. And not far behind him was Matt 'I'll Punch You Back' Stockwell, who spent 6 minutes in the box for a bit of post whistle combat. Stockwell also lit the lamp in the second when he slammed a nasty rebound home.  Kevin Smith had 2 goals and an assist, Josh Lovering and Ryan Warn had a goal and an assist each, Ryan Bleck had a goal, Eric 'K-Man' Kusznier had 3 assists and Mike Gianetti had an assist. Oh and Nick 'The Brick' held the PREDS at 2 for his 3rd win of the season. The FLYING ACES are 48-48-5 lifetime.

Final notes... 1) As of now we have 6 orders for WBWII 100 Games Or The Cup ($10.00). If you want one let it be known. 2) Bleck's 100th game party will be on Saturday, June 27 at 3ish. Only 1 ACE can't make it so far. 3) The ACE facts are running dangerously low. If you have a GOOD one send it in. 4) If you are one of the guys lending equipment to our new prospect, please bring it to Sundays game.

  And finally... This morning at approximately 10:07 A.M. Eastern standard time, in Clifton NJ, the FLYING ACES and THERMCO came to terms on a two season contract extension to start immediately.

FLYING ACES PLAY 100th AND GET TO .500

Ace Captain Darren Jones squares off in ceremonial puck drop with Shamrock Captain Jarrett Quick.

It was a whose who of Federal C hockey Monday night as the SHAMROCKS welcomed in the FLYING ACES for the ACES 100th game. From  super fan Bernie Brick to league commissioner Bill Auld to KACE (the power tandem of lovely handler Katy and team mascot ACE), the stars were shining brightly.

Aside from Bill Marcolini, still on IR (upper body), the entire ACES roster laced up for the monumental contest.

Pregame festivities saw Nick 'The Brick' presented with his newly designed goalie mask. Johnny ACE, WWI biplanes and the Minarik attack dogs were the images depicted on the sexy new cage.

By game time it was easy to see why the AIAHL put this game in the Monday night prime time slot. Once the team captains smiled and posed for the ceremonial puck drop, it was all or nothing hockey.

The SHAMROCKS started it off with a goal that was quickly answered by ACE super star Kevin Smith. But the SHAMS roared back with two more for a 3-1 lead. In what would become a dicey second period ACE point leader, Mike Petersen, lit the lamp to bring the FLYING ACES within one. And then Kevin Smith struck again with a breakaway goal to knot the game up at 3. With four minutes left in the second period Minarik dove out of net to cover up a dangerous rebound.  After the play was whistled dead, a SHAMROCK attacker took a couple whacks at Minarik's glove to try and free the puck.  ACE defenseman Ryan Bleck, reacted and threw the kelly clad culprit to the ice. Then SHAM forward, Mike Lombardi, retaliated and pushed Bleck. Bleck pushed back with a vengeance. The AIAHL refs quickly intervened. Bleck and Lombardi were sent to the box for a total of 24 minutes of penalties between the two. Neither player would be allowed back on the ice until 7:48 in the

third period. But it was late in the 2nd in a 4 on 4 situation resulting from the nastiness around the ACE net when Matt Stockwell banked the puck to FLYING ACE captain, Darren 'Rolling Stones' Jones, giving him a clean breakaway opportunity. As Bleck pounded on the glass in the penalty box and the ACE bench erupted, Jones skated down untested and threw a knuckleballer passed the SHAMROCK goalie, to give the FLYING ACES a 4-3 lead. At that point Nick the Brick knew what to do. Put up the wall. And he did.  The ACES held onto that lead and never looked back. Ryan Warn added an empty netter in the closing seconds of the game to give the ACES the 5-3 win.  All 5 FLYING ACE goals came from original season 1 members, which seemed fitting on this joyous occasion. Petersen, Stockwell and Leoszewski had 2 assists each, Donahue and Weaver both had 1. The win jumped the ACES(2-2-0) to fourth place in the Federal C league and put their lifetime record at 47-48-5. Once again Kevin Smith was screwed out of a patch as first star honors went to Daren Jones for his game winning goal. It was the second patch of his ACE career.

The FLYING ACE front office is now accepting orders for copies of WBWII 100 GAMES OR THE CUP. The ACE documentary is $10.00 a copy and will come with the new RANDY MORNING single The FLYING ACES BATTLE ANTHEM. So get your orders in. Copies should arrive in time for the FLYING ACES 100 GAMES party at Ryan Bleck's house on Saturday, June 27.

MAVERICKS TOP ACES AS ROAD WOES CONTINUE

The FLYING ACES dropped their second game in as many of this three game road trip Wednesday night. The two consecutive losses pushed the ACES into the Federal C basement with a 1-2-0 record.

 

Bill Marcolini was still on IR with an upper body injury. Daren Jones and Kyle Turner were healthy scratches.

 

The MAVERICKS were a good match up for the ACES. They came with experience and precision passing while the FLYING ACES boasted speed and Minarik back in net. 

 

Both goalies held down their fort until late in the first when the MAVS drew first blood and took a 1-0 lead. The FLYING ACES tied it up early in the second on a Mike Petersen goal assisted by Ryan Bleck. The MAVERICKS regained the lead scoring two unanswered. But in the third, Josh Lovering, assisted by Mike Petersen, broke through the MAVS defense and scored a beauty to bring the ACES within one. But in the end, the MAVERICKS held on for a 3-2 win.

 

The FLYING ACES will try to pull out of this tailspin tonight as they face of against the SHAMROCKS for their 100th game. The word on the street is the ACES will be arriving in style… Dressed to kill.