Falcons Pick-up a Point in Shootout Loss

Published on January 24, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL)
Fresno Falcons News Release


FRESNO, Calif. – Playing their first game after the ECHL All-Star break, the Fresno Falcons battled the Bakersfield Condors to a 2-2 tie through 65 minutes of regulation and overtime before falling in a shootout by the final score of 3-2 on Friday at Save Mart Center in front of 4,949.

The teams were scoreless through the first 20 minutes but just :43 seconds into the second period, Johan Astrom beat Fresno goaltender Mike Brusseau to give the visitors a 1-0 edge. Blair Clarance tied the game at 6:21 of the second when he one-timed a slapper from the high slot following a Condors turnover in their defensive zone. Bakersfield then took its second one-goal lead of the evening into the third period after Kevin Riehl scored on the power play at 15:00.

Brusseau, playing his first game as a Falcon, kept Fresno within a goal by stopping all 14 shots he faced in the third. His stellar effort paid off when Drew Schoneck fed Brad Mehalko in the slot off an odd-man rush, who roofed the puck for the game-tying goal at 14:02 of the final period.

Outshot 35-27 in regulation, the Falcons out-gunned Bakersfield, 5-2, in the four-on-four, five minute extra session, but the clubs remained tied at two. In the shootout, only Boris Protsenko tallied for Fresno while three of four Condors bested Brusseau to capture the win and two points for Bakersfield.

Fresno is now 11-22-5 with 27 points, three points behind the fifth-place Condors.

The Falcons left for Long Beach immediately following tonight's game and will take on the Ice Dogs tomorrow at Long Beach Arena before returning home to face the Las Vegas Wranglers on Sunday at Save Mart Center at 5 p.m. Tomorrow's game can be heard live on KAAT 103.1 FM beginning at 6:50 p.m. with the pre-game show.

Tickets for Sunday's game are still available for as little as $8 and can be purchased at the Save Mart Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, which include select Save Mart Supermarkets, Tower Records, Wherehouse Music and Ritmo Latino locations, charged by phone at 485-TIXS or bought online by clicking the Ticketmaster icon throughout www.fresnofalcons.com.

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ECHL Stories from January 24, 2004


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