ECHL Bakersfield Condors

Condors gain ground with St. Hatricks Day Win

March 18, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Bakersfield Condors News Release


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Bakersfield Condors rebounded from a tough two-game series against the red-hot Alaska Aces with an 8-5 victory over the Stockton Thunder on Monday. LW Mark Derlago, LW Brett Lutes and C Steve Slonina all came within one goal from a hat trick on St. Hatricks Day at The Nest.

The Condors are 20-35-9 on the season and are in fourth place in the Pacific Division, ninth place in the National Conference. They sit just three points behind the eighth-place Phoenix RoadRunners and four points behind the seventh-place Stockton Thunder in the National Conference playoff race. Bakersfield concluded the season series with Stockton on Monday, and has one remaining head-to-head match up with the RoadRunners on April 3 in Phoenix.

THIS WEEK (ALL TIMES PACIFIC):

Friday, March 21 @ Fresno (7:30 p.m.) Saturday, March 22 @ Fresno (7:30 p.m.) Monday, March 24 vs. Fresno (7 p.m.) WEEK IN REVIEW (Home team in CAPS): Friday, March 14 Alaska 3 vs. CONDORS 2 Attn: 5,369 LW Mark Derlago and D Kevin Truelson both lit the lamp for the Condors, and C Steve Slonina picked up a pair of assists, but Bakersfield dropped a narrow 3-2 decision to the Aces on Friday. F Josh Soares scored twice for Alaska, including the eventual game winner in the third period. Truelson's tally made it a one-goal game with just 1:04 left in regulation, but the Condors were denied the equalizer by Aces G Chris Beckford-Tseu. G Yutaka Fukufuji made 36 saves in net for Bakersfield.

Saturday, March 15 Alaska 8 vs. CONDORS 3 Attn: 5,834 After falling behind 4-0, F Alexander Naurov, C Steve Slonina and F Andrew Ianiero netted three consecutive goals within the span of 3:02 in the second period to help the Condors come within one. However, the Aces responded with a four-goal rally of their own over the remainder of the game for the 8-3 win on Saturday. G Yutaka Fukufuji started the game for the Condors, but was replaced by G Michel Robinson midway through the first period. Robinson stopped 20 of 25 shots in the loss.

Monday, March 17 CONDORS 8 vs. Stockton 5 Attn: 4,042 With Stockton up 2-1 early in the second period, the Condors rattled off four consecutive goals to take a 5-2 lead and cruised to an 8-5 victory. C Tim Konsorada and C Steve Slonina scored back-to-back goals, and were followed by a pair of tallies from LW Mark Derlago just 10 seconds apart, giving the Condors the three-goal lead. Third-period goals by LW Brett Lutes, his second of the game, rookie F Dale Reinhardt, and an empty netter from Slonina, sealed the win.

DERLAGO MAKES THE JUMP Hot on the heels of a two-goal performance on Monday night, Condors LW Mark Derlago has departed for the American Hockey League. The Condors leading goal-scorer has 32 tallies on the year, tied for second among all first-year players in the ECHL, and has signed a PTO (Professional Try-Out agreement) with the Manitoba Moose. Derlago, 22, is a Manitoba native and attended AHL training camp with the Moose earlier this season.

REINHARDT DEBUTS, OTHER ROSTER MOVES Rookie F Dale Reinhardt signed with the Condors on Sunday and made his professional debut Monday night. Playing in his first game, he netted his first pro goal in the third period and added four shots. In other roster moves, G Michel Robinson was placed on team suspension on Tuesday for leaving the team, F Ryan Gibbons was released on Sunday and D Martin Kubaliak was released on March 13.

PLAYER NOTES:

LW Mark Derlago became the seventh player and C Tim Konsorada became the eighth player in Condors history to reach 30 goals in one season. Derlago's 30th came on Friday and Konsorada netted his 30th on Monday. With a pair of goals on Monday, LW Brett Lutes reached the 20-goal plateau for the third consecutive season. He now has 21 on the season, third on the team.

D Martin Frechette registered three assists on Monday, and now has eight assists and three multiple- point performances in seven games since being acquired by the Condors on Feb. 4. C Steve Slonina has 13 points (5g-8a) in 20 games with the Condors after recording just seven points in 37 games with Mississippi this year. Eight Condors had multiple-point games on Monday: C Steve Slonina (2g-1a), C Tim Konsorada (1g-2a), D Martin Frechette (3a), LW Mark Derlago (2g), LW Brett Lutes (2g), D Reagan Leslie (2a), F Alexander Naurov (2a), and D Kevin Truelson (2a). RW Chris Di Ubaldo was activated from the 7-day IR on Monday. D Joe Dustin was transferred from the 3-day to the 7-day IR on Monday, and is eligible to be activated. F Eric Sonnenberg was placed on the 3-day IR on Monday, and will be eligible to be activated on March 20. PROMOTIONAL NOTES: After the Condors head to Fresno for games on Friday and Saturday, both slated to start at 7:30 p.m., they will host the Falcons at The Nest for more March Monday Madness on Monday, March 24. In addition to all the craziness of March Monday Madness, it will be NASCAR Night. Fans wearing a NASCAR shirt or jacket will receive terrace admission for just $1! In addition, one of Jeff Gordon's actual race cars will be on hand and is equipped as a virtual reality simulator, so fans can take their turn driving like the pros!

It will also be a CW Bakersfield and 106.1 KRAB Radio High School / College ID Night. All high school and college students receive admission for $1 by presenting their student ID at the Rabobank Arena Box Office.

The first 2,000 fans on Monday will also receive the fourth magnet, featuring Kevin Truelson, of the five- piece March Monday Madness Magnet Collectors Series. A new magnet is handed out at each March Monday Madness game.

For all the details of March Monday Madness, click here.

The Condors Alumni will face off against the Fresno Falcons Alumni in Fresno on Saturday for a rematch of the Fighting Cancer Hockey-Thon Alumni Game played at The Nest on Feb. 24. The Condors Alumni came out on top in the first match up, and now look to make it two in a row against Fresno Alumni this season. The Alumni Game will be played at Save Mart Center at 4:30 p.m., preceding the Condors game against the Falcons at 7:30 p.m. Both alumni teams' jerseys will be auctioned off after the Alumni Game, and proceeds will benefit Central California Make-a-Wish and the Junior Falcons.

A ticket to the regularly schedule Condors vs. Falcons game is required for entrance to the Alumni Game. Tickets for all Falcons home games can be purchased at the Save Mart Center Box Office or through TicketMaster at (559) 485-8497 or www.ticketmaster.com.

BROADCAST INFO: You can catch all Condors games live on the All- New KGEO AM1230 with the "Voice of the Condors" Kevin Bartl. All games are also available to watch online through B2 Networks. Just click the "Watch and Listen Live" link on the Condors home page. Live streaming audio for all Condors games is also available at no cost via the website, www.bakersfieldcondors.com.

Check out the Bakersfield Condors Statistics



ECHL Stories from March 18, 2008


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