Home Opener Preview

October 15, 2011

Game Preview:
Bakersfield vs. Colorado
Time: Doors open at 5:30 p.m., puck drops at 7 p.m.
Place: Mercy & Memorial Hospitals Home Ice at Rabobank Arena
Radio: Fox Sports 970, Fox Sports 610 (Lancaster)
TV: Bright House Networks, ch. 21
Webcast: America One

Click here for Matt O’Dette’s pregame comments.

TONIGHT’S MATCH UP:
The Bakersfield Condors open the home portion of the 2011-12 season with a matchup against the Colorado Eagles at Rabobank Arena. Tonight’s game marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams and is Colorado’s second game in the ECHL. The Condors will raise their second consecutive Pacific Division Champion banner to the rafters prior to tonight’s contest.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Bakersfield and Colorado each opened the 2011-12 season on the road and were victorious. In Ontario, the Condors scored twice on the power play, including Michael Gergen’s game-winning tally at 15:11 of the third period, to spoil the Reign’s home opener with a 5-4 victory. Goaltender Bryan Pitton made 32 saves for Bakersfield while Matt Marquardt (1g-1a), Jesse Gimblett (1g-1a), and Casey Pierro-Zabotel (0g-2a) each had multiple point nights. Five different players scored.

CONDORS NOTES
The Condors improved to 9-5-0 on Opening Nights in team history with last night’s win. In home operners they are 9-4-0… The Condors have gone 51-20-1 at home in the last two seasons, for a .715 win percentage. No team in the ECHL during that time has more home wins… 10 different players recorded a point last night for the Condors… Last night, G Bryan Pitton played in the 6,000th minute of his pro career, and tonight is D Joe Loprieno’s 100th career game…

EAGLES NOTES
Colorado opened up their ECHL tenure with a 5-2 win in Stockton last night… the Eagles have spent the previous seven seasons in the Central Hockey League where they have won two championships… Former Condors F Liam Huculak and LW Adam Chorneyko are members of the Eagles… G Kyle Jones stopped 37 of 39 Stockton shots for the win, and five different players recorded multiple-point outings last night… Eagles F Riley Nelson has appeared in 500 of Colorado’s 511 all-time regular season games.

TRANSACTIONS
Forward Peter Boyd was officially signed to a contract on Thursday (10/13)…Parker Stanfield was placed on 3-day IR on Friday, while Kevin Lohry (7-IR) and Dan Lawson (21-IR) were each placed on injured reserve on Oct. 12.

GET TICKETS:
Individual tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster and the Rabobank Arena Box Office. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday, and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, with extended hours on game and event days. You can also call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or visit them online at www.ticketmaster.com. Call the Condors office at 324-PUCK (7825) or go online to www.bakersfieldcondors.com for more information.