ECHL Bakersfield Condors

Condors ground Bombers with four third-period goals

March 1, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Bakersfield Condors News Release


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Bakersfield Condors broke out for four goals in the third period en route to a 6-2 victory over the Dayton Bombers in front of 3,986 fans at the Rabobank Arena.

Alex Johnstone otched the game's first goal for Dayton after receiving the puck directly from Dominic Noel off a faceoff. Johnstone fired a quick wrist shot through the slot and past Ryan Munce just 2:58 into the game, giving the Bombers a 1-0 lead.

The Condors tied the score following a gritty effort by Brian Collins along the boards to keep the puck in Bakersfield's offensive zone. Collins eventually stretched a pass to Scott Borders, who connected to Kevin Truelson for a slapshot for the equalizer with 2:05 left until the first intermission.

Initially looking to clear the puck out of the defensive zone, Reagan Leslie slammed the puck from the right wing corner along the boards into the left wing side. The puck rode the boards all the way into the Dayton offensive zone, where Scott Borders took over and fired a wrister past Mike Brown to give the Condors a 2-1 lead 4:58 into the second period.

Kyle Musselman turned over a Condors pass at the red line and ended a short breakaway with a wrist shot over Munce's right shoulder. A.J. MacLean and Nathan Tennant assisted as the Bombers knotted the game at 2-2 heading into the third period.

At the open of the final frame, Mike Hofstrand worked a pass from Dave Bonk into the corner and centered it to the top of the crease. Brian Collins attacked and pushed a clean deflection past Brown to put the Condors up 3-2.

Brad Mehalko completed a similar play six minutes later as he set up Hofstrand in front of the crease for the deflection past Brown. Sean Venedam picked up an assist on Hofstrand's 14th goal of the season as the Condors extended their lead over Dayton to 4-2.

Kevin Truelson recorded his second goal of the night on a wrister at the top of the circle off passes from Andrew Ianiero and Mathieu Brunelle to give Bakersfield a three-goal lead halfway through the third period. Brian Collins stretched the Condors lead to four when he threw the puck from behind the Dayton net off the back of the blocker of Brown and across the goal line, making it 6-2 Bakersfield.

Ryan Munce earned the victory, stopping 29 of Dayton's 31 shots. Mike Brown was credited with the loss despite making 37 saves on 42 Condors attempts.

B>Other notes: Mike Hofstrand extended his goal streak to three games with his third-period tally. Hofstrand recorded a +5 on the night, the highest single-game plus-minus by a Condor this season. Dave Bonk was activated for tonight's match-up and Nick Economakos was placed on the 7- Day Injured Reserve.

The Condors pack up the passports as they head Canada for a three-game weekend series with the Victoria Salmon Kings.

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ECHL Stories from March 1, 2006


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