Falcons Rebound with 5-2 Win

January 21, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Fresno Falcons News Release


BOISE, Idaho - One night after losing the first game of a three-game set in Idaho by the score of 4-1, the Fresno Falcons responded with a 5-2 victory this evening at Qwest Arena, as the Pacific Division leaders captured their first win of the year against the Steelheads.

Scoreless through the opening 20 minutes for the second consecutive evening, Fresno drew first blood on the power play in the second. Shawn Mather recorded his team-high ninth power play goal at 8:20 by dumping a rebound past Idaho goaltender Matt Yeats from a poor angle at the base of the left circle. Pete Fregoe added to the Falcons' lead when he drove the net and shoveled his 13th of the season past Yeats at 9:58 to give his club a 2-0 edge. Idaho pulled within one after goaltender Brett Jaeger had trouble corralling a rebound, which was eventually pinballed in by the Steelheads' Marty Flichel at 16:50 to cut the margin to 2-1. The Falcons then scored a big goal before the second period buzzer sounded, which eventually served as the game-winner. Yeats stopped a blast from the point off the stick of Shawn Weiman, but John Wroblewski directed home the rebound for his 11th of the year with just 11.5 seconds remaining in the second.

Fresno added to its 3-1 lead 37 seconds into the third. Matt O'Dette's drive from the point went well wide, but caromed back out front and off Yeats' skate before Rob McFeeters poked the puck over the goal line to give the Falcons a 4-1 edge. Idaho kept coming at 2:49 when Jarad Bourassa's wrist shot from the near half boards drifted though a couple of screens and past Jaeger. But Fresno sealed the game on Wroblewski's second of the night, as he finished off a two-on-one with Fregoe at 6:15 for the final 5-2 margin.

Jaeger keyed a Falcons penalty kill that stopped the Steelheads' top-ranked power play on all nine of its chances. Fresno's All-Star goaltender ended the game with a team season-high 41 saves.

The victory is the Falcons' first over the Steelheads in four tries this season and moves the club to 22-7-8 and 52 points atop the Pacific Division.

Fresno and Idaho conclude their three-game set with the rubber match at Qwest Arena tomorrow. Catch all of the live play-by-play action from tomorrow's contest on 1550 Sporting News Radio beginning at 2:45 p.m. Pacific with the FutureTek Pre-game Show. Fans may also view both games online courtesy of B2 Networks, which can be accessed via the Falcons home page at www.fresnofalcons.com.



ECHL Stories from January 21, 2006


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