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.