ACES Erase 3 Weeks Of Disgrace

Tuesday night the FLYING ACES (5-5-0) welcomed the first place FLYING DUTCHMEN (7-3-1) to the Flemington Ice Arena. While the ACES looked to break a brutal four game Federal C losing streak the FLYING DUTCHMEN looked to keep on rolling and avenge an early season overtime loss. Kyle Turner was on IR and Mike Petersen brought the 'Ace Case'. 

The second half of season 9 has been very tough on the FLYING ACES and Tuesday's game was at first much of the same. The FLYING DUTCHMEN, playing crisp hockey, expertly cycled the puck and put a commanding 4-0 lead on the penalty plagued ACES.

 

But in The second period the DUTCHMEN learned the only lead in hockey harder to hold than the 3 goal variety is the commanding 4 goal lead. At the drop of the puck, ACE center, Matt 'Donny' Donahue, won the face off and took the puck into the DUTCHMEN zone. As he crossed the blue line, Donahue threw a soft bouncer at the net. The puck found its way past the shocked DUTHMEN goalie and put the ACES on the board. Lucky shot? Perhaps. But Donahue's goal ignited an ACE offensive that had been dormant for quite some time. Over the next seven minutes the ACES mounted a lethal assault on the DUTHMEN, scoring five times with five different skaters. Mike Petersen, Kevin Smith, Josh Lovering, Steve Leoszewski and Darren Jones all added to Donahue's key goal. The six unanswered goals put the FLYING ACES up 6-4 at the end of the second period.

 

The FLYING DUTCHMEN aren't in first place just for their cool jerseys. And in the third period they showed a couple other reasons, scoring even strength and power played up after Kevin Smith took a 2-minute minor for his critique of an FIAHL official. But with the game all tied up 6-6, Steve 'Leap'n Leprechaun' Leoszewski fired in the game winner for his second of the night. Mike 'The Machine' Petersen followed that up with two of his own to complete the hat trick.

 

The FLYING ACES 9-6 win puts them right back in the Federal mix. With one game to go the playoffs are just around the corner. Matt 'Donny' Donahue grabbed both the First Star Patch (his fourth) and the 'Johnny Ace' Cap for his monumental unassisted game changing goal. "I listened to Smith." Said Donahue after the game. "He told me to take that face off and drive straight to the net." Smith and Leoszewski had 3 assists each.   M Gianetti, Lovering and Petersen each had 2 assists. R Bleck also had an assist. D Weaver was a +2 on the night.