Early Onslaught Dooms Gulls to 6-4 Loss in Bakersfield
December 5, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Bakersfield Condors skated out to leads of 3-0 and 5-1 on home ice before the Gulls rallied to force a final score of 6-4 in front of 4,733 at Rabobank Arena. Five different Condors (9-9-0-1) found the net and four Bakersfield skaters recorded two points in the win, with Josh Currie earning the first star with a goal and an assist.
San Diego (11-8-0-1) put a season-high 45 shots on net but were turned aside 41 times by Laurent Brossoit, who earned his ninth win in goal for Bakersfield. The Gulls scored three times in the third period and had 20 shots on goal during the final twenty minutes of action, conceding only an empty-netter to Andrew Miller.
Jeff Lerg, on a professional tryout (PTO) from the ECHL's Toledo Walleye, took over between the pipes for the Gulls with 6:28 remaining in the second period after starting goalie Ryan Faragher (1-1-0) saw five goals go past him in twenty shots against. The 5-6 Lerg stopped all eleven chances sent his way during his 25:10 in net.
The Condors established the tone of the game quickly, as Marc-Olivier Roy deflected a blue line drive from Dillon Simpson past Gulls goalie Ryan Faragher just 1:19 into the first period for a 1-0 lead. Minutes later, an onside rush by Ryan Hamilton off a cross-ice pass led to Shea Theodore taking a needed holding penalty to deny a second goal.
Theodore's efforts would only delay the score, as the Condors converted their power play, needing just 24 seconds for Anton Slepyshev's point blank goal on a pass from behind the net by Matthew Ford for a 2-0 lead at 7:30. When Greg Chase fired home a blast in the slot at 17:04 for a 3-0 lead, Bakersfield was soaring toward their second win of the season on home ice against San Diego.
The Gulls would be heard from before the first period had expired, cashing in on their first power play opportunity of the night, a hooking penalty on the Condors' Brad Hunt. Nic Kerdiles dove to slide home his sixth goal of the year, re-directing the rebound off a Theodore shot from outside. Brandon Montour picked up the second assist, adding to his AHL lead with his thirteenth power play assist of the season.
The second period began poorly for Faragher, who left his crease to stick handle behind the San Diego net but missed the puck after forecheck pressure from Joey LaLeggia. Chase found the puck and quickly shoveled it in front of an empty net, where Josh Currie snapped home his first goal of the season for a 4-1 advantage at 3:27.
Bakersfield built out to a 5-1 advantage on Kale Kessy's fourth goal of the season, celebrating his 24th birthday in style on assists from Currie and Jordan Oesterle. At 13:32 of the period, Gulls head coach Dallas Eakins made the switch in net to Lerg, who held the line from there.
The Gulls controlled the third period, scoring early on Shea Theodore's third goal of the season, a power play effort from Michael Sgarbossa to trim the lead to 5-2 at 6:11. The Gulls netted twice in four power play chances, improving to 22-for-83 (26.5%) on the season. Antoine Laganiere's sixth goal of the season, deflecting a blueline bid from Jaycob Megna, drew San Diego within two at 5-3 with just over eight minutes to play.
Persistent effort late was not rewarded for the Gulls, however, and Miller's empty netter sealed the result at 18:52. Tim Jackman picked up his second goal of the year on a late deflection off a Condors defenseman at 19:36 to finish the scoring.
The Gulls now travel overnight to Stockton for a 7:35pm Saturday faceoff against the Stockton Heat.
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