Five Alive: Condors Win Fifth Straight
March 23, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Bakersfield Condors News Release
PHOENIX, Ariz., - The Bakersfield Condors extended their winning streak to five games with a 5- 3 victory over the Phoenix Roadrunners in front of 3,716 fans at the US Airways Center. Brad Mehalko and Mathieu Brunelle
Phoenix opened up the game's scoring when Jake Riddle led a pass along the left wing boards to Kevin Ulanski. Shawn Snider trailed Ulanski through center and redirected the pass off the blocker of goaltender Ryan Munce and across the goal line. The Roadrunners took a 1-0 lead just 8:02 into the game.
Justin Quenneville made it 2-0 when he followed up on a shot by Michael Ouellet. Patrik Levesque threw a pass to the far circle for Ouellet, who fired a shot on net. Munce made the initial kick save with his right pad but the rebound trickled off the right post to Quenneville who knocked the puck in with 8:03 left in the first period.
Mathieu Brunelle put the Condors on the scoreboard after stripping the puck away from Nathan Horne at the Bakersfield blue line. Brunelle sped through the neutral zone with Joel Irving supporting through center and deposited a wrist shot over the right shoulder of goaltender Zach Sikich. Steve Howard assisted as Bakersfield cut the Phoenix lead to 2-1 heading into the second period.
Brunelle tied the game late in the second period on a Condors power play. Steve Howard threaded a pass from the far point to the right wing circle, where Brunelle fired a one-timer past Sikich. Joel Irving picked up an assist as the Condors tied the game at 2-2 with 3:56 left until the intermission.
Phoenix answered back quickly when Adam Kostichka worked a wrist shot from the left wing circle. Munce made the kick save with his left pad, but gave up a big rebound into the slot for Jake Riddle, who banked the puck past Munce's left skate to put the Roadrunners up 3-2 with 1:56 remaining in the second period.
Brunelle continued his solid night 38 seconds later by stripping the puck from Taylor Christie at the top of the far corner boards in Bakersfield's offensive zone. After Brunelle tipped a backhand pass to Joel Irving along the wall, Dave Bonk collected a saucer pass from Irving in front of Sikich. Bonk caught Sikich off the far post and deked the puck past Sikich's right side to tie the score at 3-3 heading into the third period.
At the end of a mid-period power play, Josh Liebenow directed a faceoff to Kevin Kotyluk on the left wing boards. Kotyluk located Brad Mehalko in the slot, and Mehalko fired a slap shot on one touch past Sikich to give the Condors their first lead of the night at 4-3 with 10:44 left in the game.
The Roadrunners would pull Sikich for the extra skater with 1:27 remaining, but Mehalko responded with an unassisted empty net goal, pushing the score to its eventual final of 5-3.
Ryan Munce earned the victory with 19 saves on 22 shots. Zach Sikich was credited with the loss despite making 36 saves on 40 shots faced.
Other notes: Kevin St. Jacques' four- game goal streak came to a close. Mathieu Brunelle recorded three points in a game for the second time this season. The Condors are now a perfect 6-0-0 on Wednesday nights.
For the record: The Condors improved to 34-23-5 for 73 points. Bakersfield trails Long Beach by just two points for 2nd place in the Pacific Division standings following the Ice Dogs' 4-3 regulation loss to the Victoria Salmon Kings.
The Condors continue their road trip when they visit the Las Vegas Wranglers on Friday, March 24th. Bakersfield returns home on Wednesday, March 29th to host the Utah Grizzlies on High School & Student ID Night. Students presenting a valid school ID at the Arena box office can receive terrace admission for just $1 courtesy of WB-TV 12 and the Big 96.5.
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