Falcons Open at Home for First Time in Nine Years
June 18, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Fresno Falcons News Release
Fresno, Calif. â For the first time since their inaugural season as a professional franchise in 1995-96, the Fresno Falcons will play their season-opening game at home. The Falcons kick-off the 2004-05 ECHL campaign at Save Mart Center on Friday, Oct. 22, against the West Division-rival Las Vegas Wranglers.
In contrast to last year when they played their first 11 games away from home, the Falcons begin their upcoming season with nine of their first 10 contests at Save Mart Center. After traveling to San Diego to face the San Diego Gulls on Oct. 23, Fresno returns home for an eight-game home stand that features a three-game series from Oct. 29 â 31 against the defending Kelly Cup Champion Idaho Steelheads.
The Falcons play 61 of their 72 regular season games against divisional foes from the West, including their first look at the expansion Victoria (BC) Salmon Kings on Oct. 24, their first home game against the archrival Gulls on Nov. 20 and the first of five Highway 99 showdowns at Save Mart Center against the Bakersfield Condors on Dec. 10.
The club will celebrate several holidays with its fans during the 2004-05 season as the Falcons have home dates on Halloween (Idaho), Thanksgiving (Victoria) and St. Patrick's Day (Bakersfield).
Fresno's road schedule features a couple of quirks. On Dec. 2 the team will travel to face the Condors at Centennial Garden at 10:30 a.m. to accommodate a building full of Bakersfield schoolchildren, and on Dec. 20 in Las Vegas the Falcons will square off with the Wranglers at the stroke of midnight (technically Dec. 21).
The week between Christmas and New Year's Day will serve as a grueling road test for the Falcons when they embark on a five-games-in-seven-days swing through the North Division. They clash with the Peoria Rivermen on Dec. 28 and 29 before spending New Year's Weekend shuttling between match-ups with the Wheeling Nailers (Dec. 31 and Jan. 2) and Johnstown Chiefs (Jan. 1), the minor league hockey team immortalized in the movie Slapshot.
The Rivermen then travel to the west coast for a game in Fresno on Jan. 4, one of 11 games this upcoming season featuring non-West Division teams. The Falcons host the Toledo Storm at Save Mart Center on Nov. 9, followed by a pair of games against the Greenville Grrrowl on Dec. 7 and 12, Pensacola Ice Pilots on Jan. 18 and 2003-04 Kelly Cup Semi-finalist Gwinnett Gladiators on Mar. 22.
Full season ticket packages and Flex Packs for the 2004-05 Falcons season at Save Mart Center are already on sale beginning as low as $42. For complete ticket information, please visit the Falcons website at www.fresnofalcons.com/tickets.html or call the Falcons front office at (559) 485-PUCK (7825).
Fri Oct 22 Las Vegas 7 pm
Sat Oct 23 at San Diego 7 pm
Sun Oct 24 Victoria 5 pm
Fri Oct 29 Idaho 7 pm
Sat Oct 30 Idaho 7 pm
Sun Oct 31 Idaho 5 pm
Fri Nov 5 Alaska 7 pm
Sat Nov 6 Alaska 7 pm
Tue Nov 9 Toledo 7 pm
Sat Nov 13 Victoria 7 pm
Fri Nov 19 at Long Beach 7:30 pm
Sat Nov 20 San Diego 7 pm
Thu Nov 25 Victoria 7 pm
Fri Nov 26 Victoria 7 pm
Sat Nov 27 at San Diego 7 pm
Thu Dec 2 at Bakersfield 10:30 am
Sat Dec 4 at Long Beach 7 pm
Tue Dec 7 Greenville 7 pm
Fri Dec 10 Bakersfield 7 pm
Sat Dec 11 at Long Beach 7 pm
Sun Dec 12 Greenville 5 pm
Tue Dec 14 Long Beach 7 pm
Fri Dec 17 Idaho 7 pm
Mon Dec 20 at Las Vegas Midnight
Sun Dec 26 at Bakersfield 5 pm
Tue Dec 28 at Peoria 5 pm
Wed Dec 29 at Peoria 5 pm
Fri Dec 31 at Wheeling TBD
Sat Jan 1 at Johnstown 4 pm
Sun Jan 2 at Wheeling TBD
Tue Jan 4 Peoria 7 pm
Fri Jan 7 San Diego 7 pm
Sat Jan 8 at San Diego 7 pm
Mon Jan 10 at Las Vegas 7 pm
Fri Jan 14 at Alaska 8:15 pm
Sat Jan 15 at Alaska 8:15 pm
Tue Jan 18 Pensacola 7 pm
Sun Jan 23 Las Vegas 5 pm
Mon Jan 24 at Bakersfield 7 pm
Fri Jan 28 Las Vegas 7 pm
Sat Jan 29 Long Beach 7 pm
Sun Jan 30 at Long Beach 5 pm
Wed Feb 2 at Victoria TBD
Fri Feb 4 at Victoria TBD
Sat Feb 5 at Victoria TBD
Tue Feb 8 Bakersfield 7 pm
Fri Feb 11 at Bakersfield 7 pm
Sat Feb 12 at San Diego 7 pm
Tue Feb 15 at Victoria TBD
Wed Feb 16 at Victoria TBD
Fri Feb 18 San Diego 7 pm
Sun Feb 20 Las Vegas 5 pm
Sat Feb 26 at Alaska 8:15 pm
Sun Feb 27 at Alaska 8:15 pm
Tue Mar 1 Bakersfield 7 pm
Fri Mar 4 San Diego 7 pm
Sat Mar 5 at San Diego 7 pm
Fri Mar 11 at Long Beach 7:30 pm
Sat Mar 12 Bakersfield 7 pm
Tue Mar 15 Alaska 7 pm
Thu Mar 17 Bakersfield 7 pm
Fri Mar 18 at Las Vegas 7 pm
Tue Mar 22 Gwinnett 7 pm
Thu Mar 24 at Idaho 6 pm
Fri Mar 25 at Idaho 6 pm
Sat Mar 26 at Idaho 6 pm
Tue Mar 29 at Las Vegas 7 pm
Fri Apr 1 at Bakersfield 7 pm
Sat Apr 2 Alaska 7 pm
Sun Apr 3 Long Beach 7 pm
Fri Apr 8 Long Beach 7 pm
Sat Apr 9 Long Beach 7 pm
All Times Pacific - Game Dates and Times Subject to Change
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ECHL Stories from June 18, 2004
- Steelheads to auction game-worn jerseys - Idaho Steelheads
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