Condors battle back, but fall in Utah, 6-5

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – In a see-saw game which featured 11 total goals, the Bakersfield Condors (7-22-3-0, 17pts) fell to the Utah Grizzlies (15-12-0-3, 33pts) by a score of 6-5 at the Maverik Center on Friday night.

Utah recorded the first 11 shots of the contest and was staked to a 2-0 lead when F Bryan Cameron scored two goals in the opening 5:09 of the contest. Bakersfield roared back after the midway point of the period with a goal in every situation. First, LW Jesse Gimblett scored his eighth of the season at the 11:36 mark even-strength. Then 41 seconds later, RW Scott Freeman scored his 13th on the campaign shorthanded to tie the game at 2-2. With the Condors up a man, F Matt Marquardt scored his 13th of the year as well, 18:43 into the period, to put the Condors in front at the break, 3-2. Shots were even at 13-13.

The Condors extended their lead to 4-2 at 2:13 of the second period when D Erik Burgdoerfer sniped a low shot under the glove of Grizzlies G Shane Owen. Utah had an answer though and answered with three second period tallies to pull back in front, 5-4. The goals came from F Logan MacMillan, D/F Mike Adamek, and F Paul McIlveen with the fifth tally of the night chasing Condors G Bryan Pitton from the game after 32:36 minutes of work. Bakersfield found a way to tie the game at 5-5 before the break when F Tyler Helfrich scored on the power play at 19:47. Shots favored Utah 15-14.

After 10 combined goals in the first two periods, it took only one tally in the third period to win the game for the Grizzlies. D Nick Tuzzolino took a drive from the right point on the power play that found its way through traffic and past G Matt Keetley just 3:38 into the final period of regulation. The Condors went on to outshoot the Grizzlies in the third period, 14-7, but could not sneak one past Owen and the Grizzlies hung on for the 6-5 victory.

Click here for the box score

Condors Droppings:

The teams will meet nine more times this season with the next four meetings coming in Utah…All three games this season in this series have been one-goal games and were Grizzlies victories…F Tyler Helrich has a four-game point streak (2g-4a)…C Robby Dee has 14 points in his last 12 games and is on a four-game point streak (0g-5a)…D Erik Burgdoerfer has scored two of his three goals in Utah…LW Matt Marquardt now leads the Condors with seven power play goals…C Mathew Sisca returned to the lineup after missing the first two games following the Christmas break and recorded two points (0g-2a)…Access Hollywood reporter, radio host, and hockey junkie Billy Bush joined the broadcast for an interview during the second intermission…Shots on goal: BAK- 41, UTA – 35… Three Stars: 1. Tuzzolino (UTA); 2. Cameron (UTA); 3. McIlveen (UTA).

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