GAME
NOTES
Friday, November 26, 2004
Save Mart Center at Fresno State
Victoria Salmon Kings at Fresno Falcons
(3-9-0, 6 pts) (5-7-1, 11 pts)
2004-05 vs. Victoria: 2-1-0
ECHL Game #190, Falcons Game #14,
Home Game #12
Referee: Dean Sanborn (#9)
Linesmen: Jason Burkart (#46), Craig Kneale (#44)
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TONIGHT’S MATCH-UP:
The Falcons and Salmon Kings square-off for the final time this
season at Save Mart Center following Fresno’s 4-2 win last
night. Kris Porter, Derek Krestanovich and Shaun Sutter helped
the Falcons take a 3-0 second period lead before the Salmon Kings
used a pair of power play goals to get right back into the hockey
game early in the third. Fresno finally gave themselves some breathing
room when David Brisson added an empty-netter for the final margin
with under a minute to play. The Falcons now lead the season series
with the West Division’s eighth-place team with a record
of 2-1-0 and next meet the Salmon Kings when they venture to Victoria
on two separate occasions for a total of five games during the
month of February.
FALCONS UPDATE:
Fresno won its fourth game in a row at home last night, bringing
their record at Save Mart Center to an even .500 at 5-5-1. The
two points also allowed the club to leap-frog the San Diego Gulls
in the standings as they moved into sixth place in the West Division.
Tonight the Falcons cap a stretch of 12 of 14 at Save Mart Center
to begin the season before they head out on the road for three
in a row beginning tomorrow in San Diego.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Both teams had several chances with the extra man last night with
Fresno failing to convert any of its seven chances and Victoria
capitalizing twice in eight opportunities. The Falcons are ranked
23rd (11.9%) on the power play and 25th (79.1%) on the penalty
kill, while the Salmon Kings are 12th (17.5%) and 24th (80.8%),
respectively.
KRESTANOVICH LINE CARRIES THE LOAD:
The line of Derek Krestanovich at center, Shaun Sutter at right
wing and Jason Weaver at left wing has been responsible for six
of Fresno’s last eight goals. Krestanovich took over the
team’s goal scoring lead last Friday in a 4-2 loss to the
Long Beach Ice Dogs with his third and fourth tallies of the season
before adding his fifth last night. His linemates then each scored
last Saturday in a 3-2 victory over the Gulls, and Sutter netted
the game-winner last night with his third of the year. Combined,
the trio has six goals and eight assists in the last three games,
and Krestanovich and Sutter both carry a team season-high four-game
point streak into tonight.
FALCONS SNAPSHOTS:
Goaltender Brett Jaeger is ranked 8th (93.3%) in the league in
save percentage and 10th in goals against average (2.04)…The
only opponent Fresno has out-shot this season is Victoria, which
they have done during all three meetings between the two clubs…Wes
Rypien picked up his first career professional point last night
with an assist on Krestanovich’s goal…Thierry Douville
is tied for second in the league in penalty minutes (70 PIM) with
Victoria’s Blue Bennefield…Dan Tessier still leads
the Falcons in scoring with 13 points (3g-10a) after notching
a pair of helpers last night.
ROSTER NOTES:
The Falcons signed forward Jan Sochor to a contract today, who
has played the past seven years in the Czech Elite League before
a brief stint with the Central Hockey League’s Oklahoma
City Blazers this season. He was drafted by the Toronto Maple
Leafs in the sixth round (161st overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry
Draft and represented the Czech Republic at the 2000 World Junior
Championships. Fresno suspended forward Shawn Heaphy earlier in
the week and traded goaltender Simon Lajeunesse on Wednesday to
the Gwinnett Gladiators in exchange for cash. Michael Dilorenzo
fills the void left by Lajeunesse’s departure as an emergency
back-up to Jaeger. Mike Kiesman has been activated off seven-day
IR, but Jim Lorentz (7-day) has now joined John Wroblewski (7-day)
and Lanny Gare (30-day) on the injured list. Kris Porter suited
up last night to help with the team’s injury-depleted offensive
corps and scored the game’s first goal. He was released
today with the arrival of Sochor.