MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nick Strait
nstrait@fresnofalcons.com
November 9, 2002
FALCONS STILL CAN'T SOLVE CONDORS
Fresno Drops Fourth Straight Game to Highway Rival
FRESNO, Calif. - It was déjà
vu all over again for the Fresno Falcons and
Bakersfield Condors Saturday night at Selland Arena. Jamie Cooke
scored the
game-winning goal in the second period, just as he did the night
before,
lifting the Condors to a 2-1 victory over the Falcons. Bakersfield's
win
spoiled the mood of the 6,149 Falcons faithful who came to see
Greg Spenrath
's #27 retired to the rafters of Selland Arena. For the Falcons,
it was
their fourth straight loss to the Condors this season and they
have now lost
a season high three games in a row.
Unlike last night, Bakersfield
took the first lead of the game when Jason
Ralph found the back of the net for his third goal of the season
at the 3:26
mark of the first period. Kris Porter responded for Fresno just
less than
three minutes later when he scored his team leading seventh goal
of the
season to knot the game at one.
Cooke put the Condors back on
top by one with his goal at the 3:27 mark of
the second period. The two teams then proceeded to skate to over
35 minutes
of scoreless hockey, and Cooke's goal held up as the game-winner.
The
Falcons had numerous chances at the end of the second and third
periods to
score the equalizer, but they couldn't solve Bakersfield netminder
Kevin St.
Pierre who finished the night with 21 saves. Falcons goaltender
Terry
Friesen was equally as impressive in net stopping 26 shots.
The loss drops the Falcons into
a three-way tie for third place in the West
Coast Hockey League standings with the Condors and the idle Long
Beach Ice
Dogs. Their record stands at 5-5-0 with 10 points, still one behind
the San
Diego Gulls.
The team will hit the road for
the first time in over a month when they
travel to San Diego to take on the Gulls on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at
7 p.m. They
will return home on Saturday, Nov. 16 when the host the Condors
in a 7:30
p.m. re-match. The first 5,000 fans at Saturday night's game will
receive a
free pair of Thunderstix, courtesy of Pelco. Tickets Saturday
night's game
are available at the Selland Arena box office, all Ticketmaster
locations,
or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.