Wranglers Win in Shooutout, 6-5

Published on January 24, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Las Vegas Wranglers News Release


Las Vegas, Nev-The Las Vegas Wranglers defeated the Bakersfield Condors 6-5 in a shootout at the Orleans Arena Sunday afternoon. After a 1-0 heartbreak loss to the Condors the previous evening both teams combined for tens goals in regulation and a final tally for the Wranglers who capped the win in the shootout. Goaltender Michael Ouzas improved his record to12-4-1 with his first win of 2011 in only his second start of the year after coming off the injured reserved and dropping last night's game; Joe Fallon had made the last thirteen consecutive starts for Las Vegas. Condors' goalie Josh Tordjman started the game in net but was replaced early in the first period after an apparent lower body injury. Brian Stewart would finish the first period turning away all eight of the Wranglers' remaining shots, and some how Josh Tordjman would come back into the game to finish not only regulation but overtime and the shootout as well. In his efforts he turned away 26 of 31 including 2 of 5 in the shootout but takes the loss and falls to 14-10-2. Both teams were able to counter the special teams' efforts going a combined 0 for 14 on the power play. The first shootout loss for the Condors this season drops the club to 21-18-2 as they sit firmly in the third spot in the Pacific division with 44 total points. The win increases Las Vegas' overall record to 25-11-3, knots the series with Bakersfield at 3-3, and secures their lead in the Pacific division by five points over the Stockton Thunder who also won on Sunday.

In a game that saw both teams trade goals back and forth all afternoon, two goalie swaps, two disallowed goals, and a shorthanded goal by a Las Vegas native not playing for the Wranglers it was only fair for it to come down to a shootout. Throughout the match the Condors would take the lead five times and each time the Wranglers had an answer. Adam Naglich scored for the Condors at :49 of the first period assisted by Andrew Ianiero and Stephane Goulet to start the cycle that would not end until the third period. Jerry Pollastrone answered back for the Wranglers at 4:08 of the first period with his first goal in only his second game of the season to knot the game at one as both clubs headed to intermission.

Condors' defenseman Joey Ryan made in 2-1 at 3:36 of the second period with his fourth goal of the season assisted by Adam Naglich. The Wranglers would tie the game twenty-three seconds later with Eddie DelGrosso's second goal of the season assisted by Don Maloney and Colin Long. Bakersfield struck again at 4:39 of the second period when Adam Naglich notched the first shorthanded goal against the Wranglers this season at home assisted by his captain Andrew Ianiero and Evan Stoflet. Defenseman Jamie Fritsch tied the game again at 12:51 of the second period when he picked up a loose puck and beat Tordjman under the arm with a long wrist shot from the left wing boards unassisted. The Condors netted the final goal of the middle frame at 18:52 with a deflection from Bobby Robins assisted by Vyacheslav Trukhno and Joe Rullier which gave Bakersfield the 4-3 lead heading into the second intermission.

Las Vegas would answer back once again at 4:52 of the third period with Colin Long's seventh goal of the season with the lone assist going Justin Bernhardt. Bakersfield took the lead for the fifth time on the afternoon with Jean-Francois David's sixth goal of the season assisted by Bobby Robins and Joe Rullier at 6:44 of the third period. The Wranglers tallied the tenth goal of regulation and tied the game at 13:23 with Chris Higgins' third goal of the season assisted by Eddie DelGrosso and Justin Bernhardt. The Condors would not continue the back and forth goal motif of the first sixty minutes as neither team was able to tally in the closing minutes of regulation or overtime.

Las Vegas chose to fire first in only the second shootout this season at the Orleans Arena, but both shooters would be denied in the first round. Blair Riley took the lead for the Wranglers in the second round as Condor Stephane Goulet was blocked by Ouzas. The third round also saw both shooters denied by the goaltenders as the Wranglers had a 1-0 lead heading into the fourth round. In that round Chris Higgins was able to put the Wranglers up by two momentarily with a possibility for Ouzas to seal the win but Brad Snetsinger was able to keep the Condors alive with their only tally of the shootout. Colin Long got the glory in the fifth round when he beat Tordjman rendering the Condors last bid useless as the Wranglers took the shootout 3-1 and this weekend's rubber match 6-5.

The Wranglers now head to Victoria for a three-game set to finish of the month of January before they return home to host the Stockton Thunder for the first time this season on February 1st.

The Las Vegas Wranglers© are the ECHL affiliate to the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes and the American Hockey League's San Antonio Rampage.

2010-11 season seat packages are on sale now at (702) 471-PUCK. The Wranglers play all 36 regular season home games at the Orleans Arena, located adjacent to the Orleans Hotel and Casino at 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue.

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