Ex-Condor Derlago haunts former team with late goal
| Saturday, Jan 30 2010 11:08 PM
Last Updated Saturday, Jan 30 2010 11:11 PM
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Bakersfield's Shawn Weller reacts after getting wacked in the face by Idaho's Steve Olesky in the first period. Olesky was penalized for high sticking
Condor Shawn Weller takes a stick to the face by Idaho's Steve Olesky in the first period. Olesky was was sent to the penalty box for high sticking.
Mark Mitera of the Condors takes control of the puck behind the Bakersfield goal with Idaho's Marty Flichel closing in.
For the past two seasons, Mark Derlago proved to be an opportunistic goal scorer for the Condors.
Saturday night, he was back to his old tricks, but this time it was against his former team. Derlago scored two power-plays, including the game winner with four minutes and 34 seconds remaining, as the Idaho Steelheads beat the Condors 3-2 before 6,694 at Rabobank Arena.
While the loss hurt, Condors coach Marty Raymond got even worse news right after the game -- the Anaheim Ducks are reassigning forward Shawn Weller and defenseman Mark Mitera to Abbortsford, British Columbia of the American Hockey League.
"That's the way she goes," said coach Marty Raymond, whose team has already been decimated by players going to higher leagues. "We're going to have to find some bodies."
As for the game, the Condors had rallied back from a 2-0 deficit before Derlago got the game-winner on a play that started with a bad bounce.
Bakersfield goaltender Timo Pielmeier went back to play the puck as the Steelheads dumped the puck into the zone but the puck hit an area near the Zamboni entrance and careened toward the front of the unmanned goal.
Pielmeier scrambled back, made a save on a point-blank shot but could not gather the puck in. The bouncing puck wound up on Derlago's stick and he jammed it in for his 16th goal.
"It's too bad," Condors coach Marty Raymond said of the outcome. "We played a great game. We battled hard and I can't fault the effort. It's a rotten way to loose a game."
The Condors had their chance for a game-tying goal as they went on their own power play with 2:59 remaining. Bakersfield pulled Pielmeier for an extra attacker with 1:30 left but to no avail.
The Steelheads were 3-for-5 on the power play while the Condors were 1-for-4.
"With all the changes we've had over the past few weeks we have guys in certain positions and put in roles they're not used to on the power play and penalty kill," Raymond said. We had plenty of chances and didn't finish. Derlago didn't miss and that's that."
The Condors trailed 2-1 entering the final period but dominated the early action and got the tying goal when Maxime Macenauer scored a power-play goal off a one timer from the right point at 4:13.
Idaho did not record a s hot on goal until 8:13 remained and the Condors out shot the Steelheads 13-3 over the final 20 minutes.
The Steelheads opened the scoring 17:05 into the first period Derlago, redirected a shot from the point for a power-play goal.
Idaho opened a 2-0 lead 4:53 into the second period with another power-play goal, this one coming from Evan Barlow. Barlow fired a shot off a rebound from a bad angle -- below the right circle and just above the goal line, before Pielmeier could slide across the crease and into position.
Bakersfield cut the lead in half 1:20 later with a quick up ice rush when Shawn Weller slipped a backhander past Richard Bachman off a pass from Andrew Ianiero.
Notes
Forward Stephane Goulet was placed on the 3-day IR due to an injury suffered on Friday night. Forward Matt McCue missed his second straight game due to illness. Defenseman Bobby Davey, acquired from Stockton on Jan, 21, made his Condors debut on Saturday.
The Condors play their next four games on the road, three in Alaska and one in Las Vegas, and do not return home until Feb. 13.
The 85 minutes in penalties the Condors amassed on Friday was the most since they racked up 120 against the Fresno Falcons on Dec. 20, 2007. Their previous high this season was 39, back on Nov. 20 against Alaska.
