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ECHL History made in Victoria

December 8, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Victoria Salmon Kings News Release


Victoria, BC – It took the Victoria Salmon Kings a long time to finally come home, and after Sunday nights disappointing overtime loss, the team had something to prove to the hometown faithful. Right from the drop of the puck there was a buzz in the building and everyone could see the home cooking was sitting well.

The Salmon Kings came out in the first like a team on a mission. After coming so close to that first win on home ice it was obvious they had made up their minds they were not going to let the Bakersfield Condors off easy. They out skated and out played the top ranked Condors and were full value for the 5-2 win.

For the second straight game on home ice the Salmon Kings scored the first goal, a stat that is becoming a welcome trend of late. At 15:09 after killing a 4:00 minute double minor to Dale Purinton, the Kings Ryan Finnerty took a pass from Peter Trumbley, and broke out of his own zone. Purinton, just stepping out of the box joined Finnerty on the rush making it a two on one. Finnerty finished off the beautiful give and go from Purinton and the Salmon Kings headed to break up 1-0.

The lead didn't last long though. Just 3:18 into the second Condors winger Brad Mehalko scored his ninth of the season. Kevin St. Jacques was awarded the only assist on the play and the powerful Condors were back on even terms.

But the momentum never shifted, and the Salmon Kings never let up. Just over two minutes later, and the Salmon Kings pressing in the Condors zone, Ryan Watson took the feed from Mike Barrie and buried it behind Condors netminder Yutaka Fukufuji to the give the Salmon Kings the lead 2-1.

Then with Watson in the sin bin for roughing the Condors coughed the puck up at the blueline and the Salmon Kings capitalized. Jeff Williams benefited from a sweet passing play by Ryan Wade and Brad Dexter and netted the Salmon Kings first short handed goal in franchise history. Victoria never looked back.

A minute and a half later, the Salmon Kings on the power-play, Williams struck again on the special teams. Barrie recorded his second helper on the night on a weak goal that Fukufuji probably would like to have back. Williams took a weak wrist shot from the slot and beat the goalie five hole to go up 4-1 heading into the second intermission.

Early in the third period Purinton and Condors forward Kris Wieckowski collided while going into the side boards. Wieckowski went head first and was on the ice for several minutes being attended to by trainers and team doctors. Every precaution was taken Wieckowski and he had to be taken from the game on a stretcher to Victoria General Hospital. The extent of his injury is unknown and Purinton was assessed a five minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct on the play.

Condor Paul Rosebush scored with under four minutes to go to close the Kings lead to 2. But that was as close as the Condors would get as Watson scored his second of the night with just 1:11 left, making it 5-2, securing the Salmon Kings first home victory in a bitter-sweet affair.

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