BOISE, Idaho - Judd Blackwater scored twice to keep Alaska within striking distance after two periods, but Idaho pulled away in the third to claim a 6-2 verdict Wednesday before 3,138 at Qwest Arena.

The Aces (26-24-5 overall) have dropped five of six on the road and are just 9-18-1 away from Anchorage, including a 1-4 mark in Boise against the Steelheads, who improve to a league-best 35-12-5.  The teams practice at Qwest Arena tomorrow and return to action Friday and Saturday night at 5:10 p.m. AT, with both games broadcast live on KFQD 750 AM.

Idaho seized control of Wednesday's game early, as Mark McCutcheon scored a pair of first period power play goals, the first coming at 3:54 and the second ten minutes later.  Blackwater's first of the night with 3:40 left in the first period brought Alaska within 2-1 at the break.

Ashton Rome pushed the margin to 3-1 off the rush at 5:42 of the second period, but Blackwater's 25th of the season (and eighth in 11 games vs. Idaho, including his time in Stockton) again cut the gap to a single goal with just 3:46 left in the frame.  However, the Steelheads caught a break less than two minutes later when a centering pass by Tyler Spurgeon caromed off Nick Tuzzolino's stick and behind Aces starter Scott Reid, giving the home team a two-goal cushion heading into the final 20 minutes.

Mark Derlago matched Blackwater with his 25th of the year off the rush at 7:10 of the third period and Evan Barlow put the game out of reach on another two-on-one with 7:35 remaining.  Idaho out-shot Alaska 15-4 in the first period and 36-21 for the game.