Gritty Condors Storm Past Colorado for 6-3 Win

LOVELAND, Colo. – The Bakersfield Condors (18-35-4-2, 40pts) would not quit and took a much needed road victory against the Colorado Eagles (31-20-1-5, 68pts) by a score of 6-3 on Saturday night at the Budweiser Events Center. The win is the Condors fourth in their last five games as they now have points in five of their last six contests.

C Casey Pierro-Zabotel got the Condors an early 1-0 lead when his wraparound effort slid through Eagles G Robby Nolan at 4:20 of the first period. Colorado answered just over two minutes later at 6:48 when F Joey Sides snapped one from the slot into a vacated net to tie the game at 1-1. Bakersfield would wind up with four full-length power plays, but had to have netminder Bryan Pitton stone the ECHL’s leading scorer Chad Costello on two shorthanded breakaways to keep the game deadlocked. The Condors outshot the Eagles, 13-11.

F Chris Kushneriuk scored his first goal as a Condor, collecting his own rebound and rattling it past Nolan to put Bakersfield back in front at 1:55 of the second period, 2-1. The Eagles responded with two goals of their own to pull ahead, 3-2. Costello snapped a hard shot over Pitton to tie the game at 2-2, 8:14 into the frame. D Ben Chariot made it 3-2 Colorado with a slap shot from the blue line at 10:15. Bakersfield went on to tie the game with under two minutes left in the period as a shot from the point was deflected past Eagles G Kyle Jones, who had replaced an injured Nolan, by F Ian McKenzie to make it 3-3 after two periods. Bakersfield was outshot, 16-10.

The Condors ripped off two straight early in the third period on goals from C Parker Stanfield at 2:06, and a power-play tally from C Robby Dee at 6:17 to take the lead for good at 5-3. LW Peter Boyd added an empty-netter to make the final, 6-3, after a flurry of saves from Pitton.

Click here for the box score

Condors Droppings:

Tonight was the final meeting between the two sides in Loveland. They’ll meet once more in Bakersfield..The Condors now sit 11 points behind Idaho for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference…Chris Kushneriuk’s second period goal was his first in 28 games, dating back to Oct. 28, 2011…Ian McKenzie each extended his point streak to seven games (2g-8a)…Robby Dee has points in four straight (3g-4a)…Peter Boyd now has three empty-net goals this season…Shots on goal: BAK- 33, COL- 38… PP: BAK 1/5, COL: 0/1… Three Stars: 1. Pitton (BAK), 2. McKenzie (BAK), 3. Sides (COL).

Big Games in Boise on Tap

The Condors take their road trip on to Boise, ID for a pivotal three-game series with the Idaho Steelheads, beginning on Wednesday at 6:10 p.m. Ryan Holt has the call, starting with Condors Countdown, at 5:50 p.m. on Fox Sports Radio 970 AM, iheartradio, andwww.americaone.com.

Get Tickets

Individual tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster and the Rabobank Arena box office by calling 1-800-745-3000. Box office hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday thru Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday with extended hours on gamedays. For more information on ticket packages, exciting promotions, and to sign up for the Kids Club for just $10, log on towww.bakersfieldcondors.com.

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