Bakersfield Downs Phoenix 4-1
by Andrew Nordmeier
March 11, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners
Dave Bonk and Kevin St. Jacques each picked up a goal and an assist as the Bakersfield Condors knocked off the Phoenix Roadrunners 4-1 Friday night at Rabobank Arena.
The Roadrunners looked like a different team out there and understandably so. Phoenix traded Dave Couisneau and Ben Knopp to Long Beach for Kevin Ulanski, Nathan Horne and future considerations. They also shipped J.F. Soucy and Shaun Fisher to San Diego for Patrick Levesque and more future considerations. Ulanski, Horne and Levesque all made their Phoenix debuts in this game.
Brian Collins started the scoring with a power-play goal 14:22 in when he beat Phoenix netminder Michael Mole with a shot from the deep slot. Joe Dusbabek tied it up at 4:25 of the second period when he took a cross-ice pass and zipped a shot past Condors' goaltener Ryan Munce.
From there it became all Bakersfield in terms of goals. Brad Mehalko scored his 2nd of the season at 18:14 of the second period on the power play to give Bakersfield the lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Bonk and St. Jacques scored 2:37 apart in the middle of the third period to eliminate any chance of a Phoenix comeback on this night.
Bakersfield outshot Phoenix 40-35 in a battle of two teams who give up high numbers of shots. The Condors finished 2-of-5 on the power play while Phoenix went 1-of-7 on the man advantage.
Phoenix will try to put the brakes on its two-game losing streak, and the team bus (see below), when they head to Fresno to tangle with the Falcons Saturday night at the SaveMart Center.
Three Stars
3. St. Jacques-BAK Goal and an assist
2. Bonk-BAK Goal and an assist
1. Mehalko-BAK Game-winning goal
Notes: John Fieweger re-signed with the Roadrunners after bouncing around with five different teams in three different leagues since starting the season with Phoenix...Phoenix was officially eliminated from the playoffs with the loss and is guaranteed a losing record...The Roadrunners' bus had problems with its brakes and forced the team to wait along the side of Interstate 5 for nearly 10 hours before getting them fixed. It took the travel time from a usual seven hours and made it into a 16-hour odyssey...Phoenix failed to score in the first period for the ninth straight game and hasn't done so since February 21st against Utah...Attendance was 6,873.
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