FLYING ACES Sweep SHAMS For The Cup!

Sunday night the FLYING ACES won the Ira Vail Cup for the first time in franchise history. The cup had eluded the champs for eight straight seasons that included three consecutive appearances in the finals. Twice against a powerful WHACK-A-MOLE squad and before that a brutal series loss to the same SHAMROCKS the ACES bested last night.

 Down one game in a best of three series and desperately needing a win, the SHAMROCKS carried a 1-0 lead into the second period where FLYING ACE grind liner Matt 'Lock, Stock and Two Smokin' Barrels' Stockwell buried a Josh Lovering rebound to tie the game at 1-1. Shortly thereafter ACE nation roared with approval when Mike 'The Machine' Petersen charged the net and deked the puck past the SHAMROCK goalie for the 2-1 lead.

 Even though the SHAMS had swept the regular season series and out scored the FLYING ACES 7-2 in the process, it just wasn't in the cards for them last night. In fact, all the cards last night were ACES. In the third period the FLYING ACES struck again in power play formation. Steve 'Leapin' Leprechaun' Leoszewski lit the lamp after grabbing the rebound off a Ryan Bleck blue line blast. 3-1. The SHAMROCKS were getting frustrated and running out of time. They started to get a bit more scrappy on the ice. But Kevin Smith wouldn't fight and the ACES wouldn't bite. Behind the stingy goaltending of Nick Minarik the victory bound FLYING ACES began to defend the lead, making it a tedious task for the SHAMS just to get a shot on goal. Finally, with mere seconds on the clock, ACE forward, Kyle 'Turbo' Turner, broke out and scored the empty net goal that officially ended the SHAMROCK'S season.

 After league commissioner, Bill Auld, handed ACE captain, Darren Jones, the cup, Jones raised it triumphantly in front of the team and all the ACE faithful's that were able to get tickets to this sold out event. Matt Stockwell took first star honors for his game tying goal. Mike Petersen took the Johnny Ace cap for his game winning goal. And the FLYING ACES, the AIAHL Federal champions, were awarded the Ira Vail Cup for a victory that will be treasured and cherished for days untold.

Epilogue 

Donny's goal and the storm that followed

The FLYING ACES were in the basement, down 0-4 to the FLYING DUTCHMEN and riding a 4 game Federal League losing streak when Matt 'Donny' Donahue scored a soft goal from just beyond the blue line. That only made it 1-4. But the ACES celebrated like they had just won the cup. What followed was complete Federal League domination. The FLYING ACES roared back scoring 4 unanswered goals defeating the DUTCHMEN 9-5. And from there they just kept on flying. The ACES record for the six games before Donahue's goal was 2-4-0. In two of those games they were shut out. After his goal the ACES six game record was 6-0-0 including four playoff wins and the cup. In the six games before Donahue's goal the ACES were outscored 23 to 10. In the six games after his goal the ACES outscored their opponents 34 to 18. Who is this mysterious player the ACES picked up off waivers from the Stanford, Connecticut D League KINGS. And what does all this mean? I really don't know. But I'm sure glad the ACES have him.