LOVELAND, CO. – Colorado forward Jason Polin netted the game-winning goal on the power play just 1:46 into overtime, as the Eagles defeated the Bakersfield Condors 5-4 on Tuesday. Polin was one of five multi-point performers for Colorado, including a three-assist effort for forward T.J. Tynan. Goaltender Isak Posch improved to 5-1-0 on the season, as he made 19 saves on 23 shots in the winning effort. Colorado finished the night going 3-for-5 on the man-advantage.
A Bakersfield power play would open up the scoring, as rookie forward Quinn Hutson drove to the side of the cage before feeding a shot past Posch, giving the Condors a 1-0 lead at the 16:15 mark of the first period.
A second opportunity on the man-advantage for Bakersfield would backfire, as Eagles forward Tye Felhaber wrapped behind the Condors net before lighting the lamp from the side of the crease, evening the score at 1-1 with 1:13 left to play in the opening 20 minutes.
Still deadlocked at 1-1 as the puck dropped on the second period, Bakersfield would jump back on top when forward James Hamblin flipped the puck from the top of the crease into the back of the net, giving the Condors a 2-1 lead at the 5:38 mark of the second period.
A Colorado power play would swing the momentum, as forward Jayson Megna fielded a pass in the low slot and swept it between the legs of goalie Connor Ingram, tying the game at 2-2 with 4:26 remaining in the middle frame.
Another Eagles power play would lead to another goal, as forward Tristen Nielsen bashed home a loose puck in the crease, putting Colorado on top of the Condors 3-2 at the 19:45 mark of the second stanza.
Bakersfield would start the third period with a bang, as forward Seth Griffith lit the lamp with a shot from between the circles, knotting the score at 3-3 just 17 seconds into the final frame.
The Eagles would strike back only 1:06 later when Megna collected a cross-crease feed and fired it home, putting Colorado back in the driver’s seat, 4-3.
As time ticked down, and with the Condors on the man-advantage, Bakersfield would pull Ingram in favor of a sixth attacker, and the move would pay off. Hamblin stuffed in a loose puck in the crease with only 45 seconds left in regulation, tying the contest at 4-4.
A Condors penalty in the closing seconds of the period would carry over to sudden-death overtime and the Eagles would make the most of it. Polin snagged the puck at the side of the crease before firing a backhander past Ingram, giving Colorado the 5-4 victory at the 1:46 mark of the final frame.
Ingram suffered the overtime loss, allowing five goals on 34 shots, as the Condors finished the night going 2-for-4 on the power play.
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