mostly nonfiction and bakersfield news | October 18th, 2009
Condors Downed 8-2 By Ontario Reign: Coach Leaves In Goalie For 7 Goals Before Pulling
It was the second game of the ECHL season and already a record was broken, not to mention the Condors morale for at least a game as they took on the Ontario Reign and were decimated 8-2.
Who knew the Reign could muster so much offense as a different Ontario team seemed to show against the Bakersfield Condors in the second game of the 2009-2010 ECHL hockey season at the Rabobank Arena on Saturday night.
The Condors did start a different goalie as Timo Pielmeier took to guarding the net. But it wasn’t to be Pielmeier’s lucky night as Ontario drew first blood, eventually taking an early 3-1 lead in the first period. Peter Lenes scored his first career goal on the first shot of the game after only :39 seconds. Eric Regan tied it up for the Condors later in the period at 7:58. Ontario’s Greg Hogeboom and Adam Henrich both added scores.
Toward the end of the first period, it appeared the game’s momentum was turning. The Condors were able to keep the puck in Ontario’s zone, and in the last minute, were able to fire five shots at the Ontario net.
Pielmeier was shot on only 9 times in the period, while the Condors got off 13 of their own shots.
While Face News wondered on Twitter during the intermission whether Colonel Claw’d was “flapping his wings at players in the locker room,” a Guiness World Record was broken during the first intermission as Ogie the golfer hit dozens of golf balls, claiming to be the fastest golfer in the world.
Whatever may have been said to the Condors players during the first intermission must have fallen flat as the second period was all Ontario. The Reign scored their fourth goal of the game with 14:35 to go in the second period to make the game 4-1 in their favor. In a surprise move, Coach Raymond left Pielmeier to face a continued Reign onslaught.
Bakersfield added a goal with about 11:30 to go in the second with a rip from Dan Sexton, who whipped around the net with a backhander deflection off the Ontario goalie. The Condors were down 4-2. But their brief comeback would end there.
With 7:31 to go in the second period the Reign scored on a power play going up 5-2 on a shot Pielmeier should have dropped his glove on. While fans near the media zone yelled for a goalie change, their words fell on deaf ears as coach Raymond once again opted to leave in Pielmeier.
Boos rocked the Rabobank Arena after a sixth goal from the Ontario Reign provided them a comfy 6-2 lead with 6:02 left in the second period. Fans screamed for Pielmeier to get pulled. He stayed in and the Condors struggled to clear the puck.
With the crowd chanting “Let’s go Condors” and the team down 6-2, the Condors still struggled to regain tempo in the game. Then with five seconds left in the period Ontario scored on a breakaway wrister fired to the left of the goalie. The period ended to a series of boos with the Condors ahead on shots 28-19, but down on goals 7-2.
Bakersfield opted for Justin Pogge in as goal to start the third period, but by then the momentum had long belonged to the Reign. Pogge made several good stops and the Condors went on a penalty kill with under thirteen minutes on the clock.
The Condors successfully killed the penalty, but then went right back to the penalty box with just under 11 minutes on the clock, killing that penalty as well. A third penalty in a row with 8:33 on the clock sent Bakersfield into the box again, making for a lackluster offensive period for the Condors.
Soon enough, the Reign scored again. The Condors would lose by a score of 8-2. Of course 2,000 fans were winners in the game, getting Colonel Claw’d bobbleheads they could take home and paint, hopefully in Condors colors after such a decimating loss.
Greg Hogeboom had a hat trick and an assist for Ontario. Final shots on goal: Bakersfield 36, Ontario 24.
TWITTER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GAME
- World Record Golf ball hitter breaks another record on Condor’s ice! His message: “Don’t give up and never take no for an answer!”
- Ontario scores 4th goal in the second period. I just lost the Face News game score pool of the night!
- When it Reigns it pours! Ontario Reign scores goal #8 and Condors can’t stay out of the penalty box.
Get real-time scores and highlights. Follow @nickbelardes and @matildakay on Twitter.
Goalie Timo Pielmeier was rattled by the Reign for 7 goals
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