Condors attempt at streak falls short
| Saturday, Jan 14 2012 10:58 PM
Last Updated Saturday, Jan 14 2012 11:01 PM
Images
Condors vs Eagles #10 Aaron Lewadnuk fights against a Colorado Eagle # Kevin Ulanski to stay upright while trying to pass the puck.
Condors vs Eagles #6 Alex Hudson passes the puck to a teammate while Eagles players #18 Patrick Cey and #12 Riley Nelson try to stop him.
Condors vs Eagles #18 Chris Kushneriuk goes for the goalagainst two Eagle defenders Aaron Schneekloth and Kyle Jones.
Condors vs Eagles #6 Aaron Hudson goes at it with Eagles # 18 Patrick Cey.
Condors vs Eagles #27 Ian McKenzie tangles with Aaron Schneekloth of the Colorado Eagles.
Condors vs Eagles #18 Chris Kushneriuk and teammate #6 Aaron Hudson. are up against a sea of Eagles trying to make some points.
Condors vs Eagles Condors Goalie #31Bryan Pitton and 22 Josh Van Dyk defend the goal against Eagles player # 23 Aaron Schneekloth.
It seems like such a simple task: winning two games in a row.
But 38 games into the season, the Condors have been able to do so just once -- back on Oct. 13-14, the opening weekend of play in the ECHL.
The opportunity was there again Saturday night at Rabobank Arena, but once again the Condors failed to capitalize.
Colorado scored the first goal of the game and went on to a 3-1 victory before 4,725.
Bakersfield (9-25-4) is now 0-6 in opportunities for back-to-back wins since opening weekend.
"We did some good things for sure," Condors coach Matt O'Dette said. "But from our perspective, our attention to detail wasn't the same as it was last night and this was a game where we could have had a lot more shots and opportunities if we played the right way."
As it was, the Condors fired 42 shots at Colorado goaltender Kyle Jones, who made a couple of saves when he didn't even see the puck.
"That was a game that was there for us," O'Dette said. "We need to dig that much deeper. When their goalie is playing well you have to push extra hard. Credit to their goalie."
The Condors were never out of the game until a turnover at their own blue line resulted in the ECHL's leading scorer, Chad Costello, netting his 20th goal and 54th point, with 2:24 left.
Down 1-0 after the first period, the Condors doubled their deficit as they continued a season-long habit -- allowing early goals.
Kevin Ulanski put the Eagles up 2-0 just 1:57 into the second when he fired in a shot to finish a quick rush into the Bakersfield zone. It was Colorado's first shot of the period.
Bakersfield answered quickly when defenseman Tyson Gimblett gloved down the puck in the slot and fired the puck past Jones at 5:09 for his first professional goal.
The Condors peppered Jones with a flurry of shots three minutes into the game, but Colorado took a 1-0 lead on its second shot of the game when a wide-open Aaron Slattengren scored from the slot at 8:23.
Bakersfield continued to pressure Colorado, had two power-play chances and outshot the Eagles 16-5, but got nothing past Jones.
"There weren't many breakdowns," Odette said of Bakersfield's overall play, "but when you have a hot goalie at the other end, it doesn't take much."
Notes
* Leading scorer Scott Freeman will be out of action for at least three weeks due to an ankle injury that will require surgery. Freeman, who has 30 points in 28 games, will have surgery Wednesday.
* Goaltender Matt Keetley's stay with Syracuse in the American Hockey League was brief. He sat on the bench Friday night and was released to return to the Condors on Saturday as the Crunch got one of its goaltenders back from the Anaheim Ducks. He will be back in Bakersfield today.
* Defenseman Joe Loprieno was a healthy scratch for the second straight game.
* The Condors start a three-game road trip Monday afternoon in Ontario. They play in Utah on Thursday and Friday nights.
