Slow start dooms Steelheads

(Bakersfield, CA) ? The homestanding Bakersfield Condors took advantage of an Idaho defensive-zone turnover and a bad bounce off a Steelhead defender, turning both into early goals en route to a 5-3 win over the Steelheads on Friday night. The game was played in front of 3,562 fans at Bakersfield's Rabobank Arena. Barely a half-minute into the game, Idaho turned the puck over in their own zone. Matthew Sisca picked up the errant pass and snapped a shot from the left circle over the shoulder of Idaho goaltender Jerry Kuhn to make it 1-0. At 3:56 of the first, Alain Goulet's shot from near the blue line bounced off a couple bodies and past a helpless Kuhn, making it 2-0 Condors. When Matt Marquart scored a wrap-around goal midway through the period, Idaho head coach Hardy Sauter pulled Kuhn and inserted Jimmy Spratt in net. Bakersfield (3-2-1) would make it 4-0 on Scott Freeman's fifth of the season in the 2nd before Idaho snapped to life. Two minutes after Freeman's tally, Idaho got on the board on a pretty Ian Lowe goal. After having a pass broken up, Lowe gathered the puck below the goal line, waited for Bakersfield goalteder Matt Keetley to turn his back, and banked the puck off Keetley's back for the tally. Lowe's third of the season made it a 4-1 hockey game. Idaho (1-5) made it 4-2 at 15:27 of the second period when Jacob Cepis scored off a scramble in front of the Bakersfield net. His first professional goal was assisted by Kael Mouillierat and Hubert Labrie, Labrie's first professional point. Late in the 2nd, Idaho's comeback hopes suffered a severe blow. On the power play, Marty Flichel was forced to take a hooking penalty when an errant pass gave Freeman an apparent short-handed breakaway. Referee Nick Krebsbach awarded a penalty shot and Freeman buried it, making it 5-2 after two periods. Idaho crept closer early in the third when Chad Klassen threaded a pretty pass to Ondrej Roman. Roman's one-timer made it 5-3, also assisted by David Fredriksson, but Idaho ran out of gas and could come no closer. Kuhn stopped 10 of 13 shots before being relieved by Spratt, who turned aside 18 of 20 Condor shots. Keetley stopped 26 of 29 in the win for Bakersfield. Idaho's power play was 0-for-6, while Bakersfield converted on one of three opportunities with the man advantage. COORS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME - Jacob Cepis AQUA FINA "3 STARS" - (1) Scott Freeman (BAK) (2) Matt Marquardt (BAK) (3) Matthew Sisca (BAK) Steelhead Season-Ticket Holders get six games FREE when they sign up for full-season packages. Fans can still get pro-rated full-season tickets for the remaining 35 home games, starting at less than $275 per seat. Partial-season plans are also available. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 for more information.