ECHL Bakersfield Condors

Condors Run Down By RoadRunners, 5-3

March 29, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Bakersfield Condors News Release


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Bakersfield Condors gave up a season-high 50 shots to the Phoenix RoadRunner and lost, 5-3, Wednesday night, in front of 4,262 at Rabobank Arena.

The first period was filled with big hits and plenty of feistiness on both sides. Sparks flew after the RoadRunners' Tommy Maxwell hit Alex Rogosheske late and from behind at the 11:25 mark, and Tyler Liebel jumped in to protect his teammate. Liebel and Maxwell scrapped, and it resulted in Maxwell getting ejected from the game.

Bakersfield (40-16-11, 91 points) replied with more intensity, as players banged bodies all over the ice. The Condors also had a great scoring chance right at the end of the session, when Reagan Leslie sprung Josh Liebenow on a breakaway, but Cody Rudkowsky made the save as the buzzer sounded.

Phoenix (26-35-5, 57 points) opened the scoring at 1:49 in the second period, when Brock Hooton squeezed a shot between Rejean Beauchemin and the left post to make it 1-0.

The RoadRunners doubled their lead to 2-0 at 4:31, when Jeff Kyrzakos capped off a wild scramble by chipping the puck home.

The Condors cut the deficit in half when Rane Carnegie banged in a rebound of Scott Borders shot at 11:48.

Early in the third period, the goals came fast and furious for both teams. Phoenix struck first at 2:12, when Olivier Latendresse reached a loose puck in front of the Condors net and backhanded it in to give the RoadRunners back their two-goal lead, 3-1.

Bakersfield responded 35 seconds later, when Mike Hofstrand broke a 30- game drought by beating Rudkowsky from the slot to slice the lead to 3-2.

The Condors got the equalizer at 4:32, when off a face-off in the offensive zone, Sean Venedam banked the puck from behind the goal-line off Rudkowsky to make it 3-3.

The RoadRunners regained the advantage, 4-3, at 5:26, when Alexandre Rouleau slapped a rebound past Beauchemin.

The game ground to a halt with 8:22 left, when David Kudelka checked Liam Lindstrom into the glass in front of the RoadRunners penalty box and the glass shattered. After the hit, Chance Fitzpatrick slashed at Kudelka and set up a power-play for Bakersfield, but they couldn't capitalize despite a number of close-in attempts.

Kyrzakos clinched the win for Phoenix with an empty-net goal at 19:56.

Notes: Bakersfield finished the 2006-07 season series 4-1-1 against Phoenix, including 2-1-0 at home, and is 6-1-0 lifetime versus the RoadRunners at The Nest.

The Condors are back at The Nest Saturday night to face Stockton with the Blues Brothers Act in town, courtesy of Fox 58, 98.5 The Fox and Three Way Chevrolet. See Jake and Elwood Blues perform their song and dance routines from their hit movies in their final hockey performance ever. Plus, the Bluesmobile with the big speaker on top will be out front so fans come see it and have their picture taken with it.

Individual game tickets are on sale and may be purchased through the Rabobank Arena Box Office, which is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday with extended hours on game days. Tickets may also be purchased by phone at 322-2525, online at www.bakersfieldcondors.com or at any Ticketmaster location. Season tickets, mini plans and group outings are also available at the Condors office located at 1001 Truxtun Avenue or by calling 324- PUCK (7825).

You can catch all Condors games live on KGEO Hot Talk AM1230 with Jake Stevens calling all the action. Most games are available to view courtesy of B2 Networks. Just click the "Watch the Game Live" link on the Condors home page. Live streaming for all Condors games is also available via the web site, www.bakersfieldcondors.com.

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ECHL Stories from March 29, 2007


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