Falcons Overcome Three-Goal Deficit but Fall in Shootout

November 27, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Fresno Falcons News Release


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Three different players scored in a 9:55 span of the second period to help the Fresno Falcons dig out of a 3-0 hole before the club eventually succumbed to the Bakersfield Condors in a shootout by the final of 4-3 at Rabobank Arena on Saturday.

Despite generating 18 shots in the opening period, Fresno still found themselves trailing 2-0 after the first 20 minutes when Nate Metcalf and Alexandre Bolduc scored for Bakersfield at 14:19 and 15:48, respectively. The Condors' Kevin St. Jacques then scored on a clean break-away 7:25 into the second period, and the Falcons were staring at a 3-0 deficit.

Fresno began its comeback just 37 seconds after the goal by St. Jacques when John Wroblewski tallied his first of the year by tucking the puck short side past Bakersfield goaltender Ryan Munce. J.F. Plourde added his fourth of the season just 1:06 after Wroblewski's goal to pull his team within one at 9:08 of the second period. P.O. Beaulieu then completed the three-goal rally at 17:57 of the middle period. Fresno's rookie defenseman hit the post from point blank range in the slot, but the puck bounced off a Condor and back past the goal line for his first professional goal.

After the teams skated to a scoreless third, they headed to overtime tied at three. Fresno out-shot Bakersfield 6-2 in the overtime period, but would not solve Munce again. The Condors' rookie goaltender stopped all five Falcons skaters he faced in the shootout, while Fresno's Mike Brown yielded one goal on four attempts against, and Bakersfield skated off with the shootout victory, 4-3.

The shootout loss marks the Falcons' first setback to a fellow Pacific Division team, against which Fresno had been a perfect 7-0-0 coming into last night's contest. The club is still in first place in the division, though, with a record of 8-3-3 and 19 points.

The Falcons finish the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend by traveling to San Diego to face the Gulls today at 5 p.m. at the ipayOne Center. The game can be heard live on 1550 Sporting News Radio beginning at 4:45 p.m. with the FutureTek Pre-game Show. Fans may also view the game on-line on a pay-per-view basis courtesy of B2 Networks, which can be accessed via the team's website at www.fresnofalcons.com.



ECHL Stories from November 27, 2005


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