Bakersfield rolls in perfect 3-0 weekend

CONDORSTOWN, Calif. – The second half of the season started in promising fashion for the Bakersfield Condors, who sliced through Idaho and San Francisco in a perfect three-in-three weekend. The Condors are also 3-0 on home ice in 2013 and 3-0 overall since the lockout ended, when AHL and NHL teams started hauling their players back up out of the ECHL.

The Condors are currently 11-25-1-2 with 25 points in the standings. When the weekend began, they trailed San Francisco by 12 points for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but with their weekend success have brought that down to just six points.

COMING UP:
Tuesday, Jan. 15 vs. Ontario (7 p.m.)
Friday, Jan. 18 at Utah (6:05 p.m.)

Saturday, Jan. 19 at Utah (6:05 p.m.)
Monday, Jan. 21 at Ontario (1 p.m.)

LAST WEEK (Home team in CAPS):

Friday
CONDORS 5 vs. Idaho 0
Attn: 5,029

G Scott Greenham was perfect on 29 Idaho shots for his first professional shutout, and five different players scored for Bakersfield in the 5-0 triumph. Four different players recorded multiple point efforts in the win, and the Condors scored three times on the power play.

Saturday
CONDORS 6 vs. Idaho 2
Attn: 4,730

F Nicholas Tremblay had 2g-2a and D Kyle Haines scored twice, while G Brian Stewart recorded 39 saves in a 6-2 win over Idaho, completing the two-game weekend sweep of their rivals from Boise. The win kept the Condors home record in 2013 perfect in three games. Bakersfield’s power play remained hot, racking up four tallies on the night.

Sunday

Condors 4 vs. SAN FRANCISCO 2

Bakersfield jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second period, held off a Bulls rally, and added an empty net tally in a key victory over the team they are chasing in the standings. F Jacob Lagace scored twice, including the insurance goal in the final minute, and G Scott Greenham followed up his shutout on Friday with a 39-save performance on Sunday. The win allowed Bakersfield to creep to within three victories of the Bulls in the playoff race.

NOTES:

New players made a difference over the weekend. F Nicholas Tremblay, D Kyle Haines and F Francis Verreault, none of whom had played a game on home ice before Friday, combined for 8g-7a-15pts in the trio of wins.
Haines put up a season-high +4 on Sunday in San Francisco.
By posting seven total power play goals on Friday and Saturday night, the Condors power play surged from 20th in the league to 15th in the span of two games.
G Scott Greenham recorded the first shutout of his career Friday, and the first of the season for the Condors. It was the 38th shutout in Condors history.
Greenham pieced together a shutout streak of 102:27, spread out over the course of four games. The streak included a 12-minute relief appearance without allowing a goal.

LEAGUE LEADERS:

G Scott Greenham is 4th in the ECHL with 698 saves.
F Peter Boyd leads the ECHL with five shootout goals and two shootout game-winners.
F Daniel Koger is tied for 2nd in the ECHL with four shootout goals.
G Scott Greenham is tied for the league lead with five shootout wins and is 2nd with a .962 shootout save percentage.
F Brett Lyon is 3rd in the ECHL (and tied for the league lead among rookies) with 11 major penalties.
F Francis Verreault is 10th in the ECHL in rookie scoring, just seven points off the league lead. He is also just two assists off the ECHL rookie lead, with 17.
D Tyson Gimblett is tied for first among ECHL defensemen with ten major penalties, and fifth with 104 penalty minutes.
The Condors goaltenders rank 2nd in the ECHL in the shootout with a .846 save percentage.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Pretty sure I’ll be better tomorrow.” – New Condors F Nicholas Tremblay, after scoring a goal in his first game of the season Friday. He had 2g-2a the next night.

TEAM LEADERS
Points – F Francis Verreault (27)
Goals – F Francis Verreault (10)
Assists – F Francis Verreault (17)
PIM – D Tyson Gimblett (104)
+/- – D Kyle Haines (+8)

Wins – G Scott Greenham (8)

GAA – G Scott Greenham (3.47)
Sv % – G Brian Stewart (.903)

THIS WEEK:

Canned Food Collection Night, then looooooong road trip
The Condors return home on Tuesday, Jan. 15 for Canned Food Collection Night, sponsored by My 45, La Preciosa 105.3 and Kern County Farm Bureau. Donate two non-perishable food items and get in to the game for just $1. The food will be donated to the Bakersfield Homeless Center.

After that, the team embarks on a swing of road games that will take them to six different cities, playing seven games, in 13 days, from Jan. 18 – 30.

The Condors host Colorado on Friday/Saturday, February 1st and 2nd. On Feb. 1, the first 2,000 kids 12 and under will get a Condors Youth Jersey featuring Condors Alternate Captain Peter Boyd, sponsored by KGET-TV 17, Hot Hits 93.1 and Rabobank. On Saturday, the first 2,000 fans 5 and older will get a Condors Cowboy Hat, sponsored by Emporium Western Store.

Tune in to all the action on Fox Sports Radio 970 AM, www.foxsports970am.com or on America One. “Condors Countdown” starts 15 minutes before the drop of the puck.

A SWEET DEAL ON THE SUITE
The Condors are making you an offer you can’t refuse… by giving fans a chance to sit in the Budweiser 5-Hole Suite Tuesday night when the Condors host Ontario for just $20. One of the best seats in the house can be yours for the night. Only 50 tickets are available for the suite, so don’t delay, call 324-PUCK (7825) RIGHT NOW!!!

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Check out the plan to fit your needs by clicking here or calling 324-PUCK (7825).