MacGregor Sharp nets two goals in Bakersfield's 4-3 victory

Published on October 24, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Victoria Salmon Kings News Release


Victoria, BC - In a Saturday night matchup the Victoria Salmon Kings and Bakersfield Condors met in the finale of a three-game set at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. The Salmon Kings started John Murray in net while the Condors countered with Justin Pogge.

The Salmon Kings and Condors both carried over their strong goaltending from last night into the opening period, which resulted in neither team hitting the scoreboard. The best offensive opportunity of the first frame came off the stick of Salmon Kings forward Dirk Southern at the four minute mark. Southern, on a two-on-one opportunity with Olivier Latendresse, took a hard pass into the middle of the ice and put a nice backhand shot on Pogge, who scooped the offering with a quick glove-save. The teams skated into the intermission in a scoreless tie.

Bakersfield opened the scoring 5:12 into the second period when a Salmon Kings' blocked shot in the offensive zone turned into Shawn Weller finding Dan Sexton with a breakaway pass. Sexton put a backhand move on Murray, and made no mistake in lifting the puck up over the goaltender's blocker into the net. The goal was Sexton's third of the season. Bakersfield would double their lead at 12:24 when a good offensive cycle resulted in MacGregor Sharp finding himself alone in front of Murray and putting the puck past the goaltender along the ice. Sharp's goal was his first of the season. The Salmon Kings would cut the deficit in half at 15:31 on the power play when Gary Gladue passed the puck across the ice into the right wing faceoff circle where a waiting Mike Hamilton one-timed the rubber under Pogge's glove. Hamilton's marker was his first of the year, and first as a Salmon King. The Condors wasted little time in regaining their two-goal advantage as Sharp notched his second goal of the night just 27 seconds later. The flurry of goals continued at 18:41 when Salmon Kings defenseman and Victoria native Taylor Ellington took a feed from Olivier Latendresse and put a one-timer past Pogge from the left wing faceoff circle. Ellington's goal was his first as a Salmon King, and rounded out the scoring in the second period. The Condors took to the locker room with a 3-2 advantage.

Bakersfield would extend their lead to 4-2 at the 13:13 mark of the third period when Condors forward Logan MacMillan received a shorthanded breakaway after the puck broke free from a scrum in front of Pogge. MacMillan put a backhand move on Murray and netted the puck up over the goaltender's glove. MacMillan's goal was his first of the campaign. The Salmon Kings pulled back to within one just 41 seconds later when Olivier Latendresse took a pass from Dan Gendur just off the right-wing boards and fired a one-timer past Pogge for his second goal of the season. The Condors would kill off a late power play to hold the Salmon Kings at bay and secure the victory. Condors 4 Salmon Kings 3.

Victoria finished 2/7 = 28.6% on the power play while Bakersfield went 0/4 = 0.0%. The Salmon Kings outshot the Condors 36-22.

The Salmon Kings now welcome the Stockton Thunder to the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre for a two-game set next weekend, with games on Friday, October 20th, and Sunday, November 1st. Puck-drop next Friday is at 7:05p.m., while the Sunday game gets under way at 1:05 p.m. For tickets, call 250-220-7777 or visit www.selectyourtickets.com.

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