FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brian Clark
March 1, 2003
bclark@fresnofalcons.com

FALCONS LOSE IN 8TH STRAIGHT ONE-GOAL DECISION
Porter's Hat Trick Not Enough in 6-5 Loss

BOISE, Idaho - Kris Porter's second hat trick of the season was not enough
to overcome five power play goals from the Idaho Steelheads as the Fresno
Falcons lost 6-5 on Saturday at the Bank of America Centre in a game that
marked the Falcons' eighth straight contest that has been decided by just a
single goal.

The Steelheads drew first blood before the game was even a minute old. Petr
Suchanek fired from the point, and Ben Keup shoveled a rebound by Falcons
goaltender Terry Friesen just 59 seconds into the first period. Neither
team scored the rest of the frame as Idaho took a 1-0 lead to the second.

The complexion of the game changed substantially in the second period as the
teams began to light up the scoreboard, especially with the extra man. Kris
Porter cleaned up a rebound off a Jason Weaver miss at 1:16 for his first of
the night to tie the game at one. Idaho responded with a power play goal
off a deflection from Dan Shermerhorn and re-took a one-goal lead at 6:40.
Porter poked in another rebound off a shot from Weaver to tie the game at
two, and then the pair hooked up again just 37 seconds later with Fresno on
the power play as Porter completed his second hat trick of the season at
10:46.

Soon after the Falcons captured their first lead of the night at 3-2, the
club took two penalties, and the Steelheads took advantage of the ensuing
five-on-three with a goal from Adam Copeland at 13:05. Fresno's bench felt
the goal occurred as a result of a non-call, head coach Blaine Moore was
ejected for arguing his case and Idaho kept their two-man advantage. They
scored again just 13 seconds later to take a 4-3 lead. The lead would be
short-lived as the Falcons struck once more on the power play with 20
seconds left in the frame when Jason Weaver wristed home his 20th of the
season from Glen Gulutzan.

With the game tied at four to begin the third period, the Falcons took their
second lead of the night early in the stanza. Again on the power play, a
shot from the blue line by Cory Murphy changed directions twice, the last
time off the skate of Glen Gulutzan to beat Idaho's Jason Cugnet, and Fresno
led 5-4 at 1:13. Idaho tied the game at five on the power play at 6:31 with
Copeland's second of the evening before Cory Morgan scored the Steelheads'
fifth goal of the game with the extra man at 17:10 to capture the 6-5
victory. Idaho scored five times on their final six power plays, while
Fresno went three for four on the evening.

The loss drops the Falcons to 29-21-6, and they remain in fourth place with
64 points. The 6-5 decision was Fresno's 32nd one-goal game of the season
and their eighth in a row.

Fresno and Idaho play the final game of a three-game set tomorrow night as
the Falcons continue their current 11-game road swing. All of the live
play-by-play action can be heard on 103.1 FM, The Mountain Cat, beginning at
5:50 p.m. PST with the Mail Boxes, Etc. Pre-game Show.

1st Period Summary: 1, ID, Keup 12 (Copeland, Suchanek), :59.

2nd Period Summary: 2, FRE, Porter 26 (Weaver, Gulutzan), 1:16. 3, ID,
Shermerhorn 23 (Mylymok), 6:40 (pp). 4, FRE, Porter 27 (Weaver), 10:09. 5,
FRE, Porter 28 (Borders, Weaver), 10:46 (pp). 6, ID, Copeland 12 (Swanson,
Rybar), 13:05 (pp). 7, ID, Rybar 22 (Swanson, Shermerhorn), 13:18 (pp). 8,
FRE, Weaver 20 (Gulutzan, McBain), 19:40 (pp).

3rd Period Summary: 9, FRE, Gulutzan 10 (Porter, Murphy), 1:13 (pp). 10,
ID, Copeland 13 (Swanson, Shermerhorn), 6:31 (pp). 11, ID, Morgan 20
(Shermerhorn, Mylymok), 17:10 (pp).

Scoring by Period: 1 2 3 F
Fresno 0 4 1 5
Idaho 1 3 2 6

Shots on Goal: 1 2 3 T
Fresno 7 12 14 33
Idaho 11 10 16 37

Saves: Fresno - Friesen (31-37)
Idaho - Cugnet (28-33)

Power Play Results: Fresno - 3 for 4, Idaho - 5 for 8