Falcons Lose in 8th Straight One-goal Decision

Published on March 2, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL)
Fresno Falcons News Release


BOISE, Idaho – Kris Porter's second hat trick of the season was not enough to overcome five power play goals from the Idaho Steelheads as the Fresno Falcons lost 6-5 on Saturday at the Bank of America Centre in a game that marked the Falcons' eighth straight contest that has been decided by just a single goal.

The Steelheads drew first blood before the game was even a minute old. Petr Suchanek fired from the point, and Ben Keup shoveled a rebound by Falcons goaltender Terry Friesen just 59 seconds into the first period. Neither team scored the rest of the frame as Idaho took a 1-0 lead to the second.

The complexion of the game changed substantially in the second period as the teams began to light up the scoreboard, especially with the extra man. Kris Porter cleaned up a rebound off a Jason Weaver miss at 1:16 for his first of the night to tie the game at one. Idaho responded with a power play goal off a deflection from Dan Shermerhorn and re-took a one-goal lead at 6:40. Porter poked in another rebound off a shot from Weaver to tie the game at two, and then the pair hooked up again just 37 seconds later with Fresno on the power play as Porter completed his second hat trick of the season at 10:46.

Soon after the Falcons captured their first lead of the night at 3-2, the club took two penalties, and the Steelheads took advantage of the ensuing five-on-three with a goal from Adam Copeland at 13:05. Fresno's bench felt the goal occurred as a result of a non-call, head coach Blaine Moore was ejected for arguing his case and Idaho kept their two-man advantage. They scored again just 13 seconds later to take a 4-3 lead. The lead would be short-lived as the Falcons struck once more on the power play with 20 seconds left in the frame when Jason Weaver wristed home his 20th of the season from Glen Gulutzan.

With the game tied at four to begin the third period, the Falcons took their second lead of the night early in the stanza. Again on the power play, a shot from the blue line by Cory Murphy changed directions twice, the last time off the skate of Glen Gulutzan to beat Idaho's Jason Cugnet, and Fresno led 5-4 at 1:13. Idaho tied the game at five on the power play at 6:31 with Copeland's second of the evening before Cory Morgan scored the Steelheads' fifth goal of the game with the extra man at 17:10 to capture the 6-5 victory. Idaho scored five times on their final six power plays, while Fresno went three for four on the evening.

The loss drops the Falcons to 29-21-6, and they remain in fourth place with 64 points. The 6-5 decision was Fresno's 32nd one-goal game of the season and their eighth in a row.

Fresno and Idaho play the final game of a three-game set tomorrow night as the Falcons continue their current 11-game road swing. All of the live play-by-play action can be heard on 103.1 FM, The Mountain Cat, beginning at 5:50 p.m. PST with the Mail Boxes, Etc. Pre-game Show.

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ECHL Stories from March 2, 2003


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