Condors finish weekend sweep over Thunder

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Bakersfield Condors and the Stockton Thunder completed the last of eleven head-to-head games over the past weekend, taking three of three consecutive matches.   The last two of the series was held Friday evening, February 25 followed by a noon game on Saturday, February 26.   The Condors finished 7-4 versus the Thunder for the regular season.
 
In Friday night’s game, the Condors defeated the Thunder with a final score of 4-1, before a crowd of 5,534 at Rabobank Arena.  
 
As is usual for these two teams, fast, furious and physical action was to be expected.   Within the first five minutes of the game, Stockton’s Jordan Bendfeld and Condor’s Bobby Robins dropped the gloves, followed by Jim McKenzie of the Thunder and Erick Lizon, of Bakersfield.   
 
Following the tussles, at the 11:27 mark, Stockton’s Garet Hunt was the first to score.   Hunt’s goal was the result of a rebound he caught in the crease that he redirected just over the blocker pad of Condors netminder Brian Stewart.
 
The rest of the game belonged to the Condors; scoring four unanswered goals in the second.   The first of which was a one-timer past the glove side of Stockton’s Zane Kalemba by Joel Broda.   The ultimate winning goal, with just over six minutes remaining in the period, following a series of rebounds, was batted in by Bobby Robins.  
 
A third goal was scored, about thirty seconds later, on a breakaway by Condor’s Adam Naglich.   Broda finished the scoring for the period, at 18:06, on a nice pass interception that lead to a breakaway towards the net, dropping the puck past Kalemba, glove side.
 
During the third period, as the Condors held onto their three goal lead, the Thunder appeared fatigued.   Stockton was having difficulty completing passes and maintaining puck possession.  
 
At the games end, Bakersfield held onto the 4-1 lead, outshooting the Thunder 32-25 throughout the game.
 
Saturday’s game was scheduled for noon, resulting in only a 13 hour rest period for the teams.    As the game began there was no evidence of a lack of rest, as both teams raced up and down the ice, demonstrating their physical playing styles.   The first period even appeared more intense than the previous night.
 
Before a sparse crowd of 4,303 at Rabobank Arena, the Condors opened the scoring this time.   At 10:11 into the first period, Pascal Morency fired a shot from the top of the slot, on a feed from Vyacheslav Trukhno.
 
Stockton answered the goal with just over five minutes remaining in the period. Chris Lawrence was credited with the powerplay goal, following a barrage of shots close range, with assist going to Kelly Czuy.   By the end of the first period, Stockton was leading nearly two-to-one in shots on goal with 15-8.
 
Bakersfield pulled away in the second period and didn’t look back.   About midway through the period, Tyler Prado scored on a powerplay and Joel Broda scored a second goal only 26 seconds later.
 
The third period, Adam Naglich scored the fourth goal, on a powerplay at the 2:50 mark.   The final goal seemed to be the final blow that took the wind from the sails of a disheveled Thunder defense.
 
The final score 4-1.   Stockton out-shot the Condors 37-25.   Stockton’s Zane Kalemba was in the net for the loss.
 
Condors Coach Marty Raymond was pleased with his teams’ performance.
 
“I think we played with a little more of an edge. We’re physical, but we played with discipline. We have enough tough guys, but we controlled our emotions.”   He went on to add up the win with, “Good goaltending all three nights.”
 
Raymond remarked on a few of the newer members of the team, Trukhno and Broda, “They are playing with passion, like every shift matters. It’s been infectious to the rest of the team. They play hard and the other guys are stepping up to the plate.”
 
The Condors are 29-24-2-1, with 61 points, and currently in sixth place in the Western Conference, leading the next closest team by six points.  
 
“Our goal is to get as many points as we can.   We are back in the hunt. We didn’t think that could happen about three weeks ago,” said Raymond of the current standings.
 
Contact the writer at Shellie.Lima@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at Jack.Lima@prohockeynews.com