Condors lead tightly-packed Pacific Division
| Monday, Nov 09 2009 10:09 PM
Last Updated Monday, Nov 09 2009 10:09 PM
Stockton at Condors
When Tonight, 7
Where Rabobank Arena
Radio KGEO (1230 AM), 6:45
Condors record 6-5-0
Thunder record 4-4-2
Series First meeting
Notes Goaltender Justin Pogge (2-1) has returned from a two-week stay in Anaheim and will start tonight. He has a 2.10 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage ... Matt Myers is expected to make his North American pro debut for the Condors tonight, having cleared immigration ... Dan Sexton leads the Condors with 16 points (8 goals, 8 assists) and is tied for first among ECHL rookies in goals and points ... James Bates, Judd Blackwater each have 6 goals and 4 assists for the Thunder. The Thunder is second in the league on the power play at 28.8 percent and Blackwater has a league-high 5 power-play goals. Four of Bates' goals have come on power plays ... Tonight is Warm Families Coat Collection Night. Any fan donating a new or gently used coat can purchase a ticket for just $1.
There's not much separating the top from the bottom in the ECHL Pacific Division.
With all four teams having played 10-12 games, the division-leading Condors (6-5-0, 12 points) and fourth-place Stockton Thunder (4-4-2, 10 points) are separated by just two points. Ontario (6-6) also has 12 points and Las Vegas (5-5-0) has 10 points.
No other division in the league is packed as tightly.
"We've definitely got parity in our division," Condors coach Marty Raymond said. "Stockton has a good club, Vegas is a solid, young team and Ontario just won three in a row. It's a tough division."
The Condors opened the season with a win, were two games above .500 at one point and have never fallen below .500.
"We wanted to have a good start, which we did," Raymond said of his young team. "We didn't want to be 3-6 or 2-8. Now we need to put a string of wins together."
As far as streaks go, the Condors have won two in a row and have lost two in a row. Other than that, it's been back and forth between wins and losses.
"If you ask me to grade the first 11 games, I'd say B or B-minus," Raymond said. "I'd give our work ethic an A. But we can be better. We've got to find ways to win games."
The Condors did just that Saturday night against Las Vegas when they twice game back from one-goal deficits then scored two goals late in the third period for a 4-2 win.
"We did this with basically one goaltender and a lot of young guys who are new to pro hockey," Raymond said. "We're really a work in progress."
