The Coachella Valley Firebirds secured a spot in the division semifinals on Sunday with a 6-2 win over Bakersfield in the winner-take-all Game 3 of their Pacific Division first-round series at Acrisure Arena.
The Firebirds will next take on the division champion Ontario Reign. Game 1 of that best-of-five set is Wednesday night.
After a scoreless first period in which they were outshot 15-5, Coachella Valley scored four times in the second, with J.R. Avon, Jagger Firkus, Jacob Melanson and Jani Nyman all putting pucks past Bakersfield netminder Matt Tomkins.
Damien Carfagna and Quinn Hutson cut the Condors’ deficit to 4-2 with 11:42 to play, but Nyman stole a puck and set up Logan Morrison for an insurance marker with 3:10 remaining. Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, coming off a two-goal effort in Game 2, added an empty-netter 34 seconds later.
Nikke Kokko entered Game 3 with a .737 save percentage in the series, but finished the night with 31 saves to earn the win in net.
Photo: Brandon Magpantay
(Coachella Valley wins series, 2-1)
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 23 – BAKERSFIELD 6, Coachella Valley 1
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 25 – COACHELLA VALLEY 5, Bakersfield 4
Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 26 – COACHELLA VALLEY 6, Bakersfield 2
