Game 30: San Diego @ Bakersfield Condors - Jan 2

Sam Carrick (25) protects the puck during action against the Bakersfield Condors. Credit San Diego Gulls.

In their second game in Bakersfield in under a week, the Gulls started relatively slow, only getting their first shot on net after three minutes of play. But on the following face-off, a seemingly harmless shot off the face-off from Matt Berry bounced by the Condors’ net-minder for the early lead.

The Condors piled on a further seventeen shots (including two power-plays) on Boyle, but the New Jersey native stood tall and turned them all aside to head to the first intermission up by a score of one to nothing.

The Condors continued their pressure in the second period, but San Diego managed to turn momentum ever so slightly at the midway point. Then Kevin Boyle was assessed a delay of game penalty for purportedly playing the puck outside the trapezoid, but without the benefit of a replay it was hard to see whether he did or not. The Condors converted on the resulting man advantage to even the game up on a cross-ice pass that Boyle could not get across in time for.

Matt Berry had an almost golden opportunity all of his own creation when he took on the Condors’ defenders and somehow managed to slip through them in a Terry-esque move, but could not get the shot away in tight.

The period ended with the Condors narrowly out-shooting the Gulls 10-9 in the period.

The third period was quite possibly the most boring period of the Gulls’ season, with barely any scoring chances for either side, nor any exciting worth mentioning until the final two minutes of play when a Gulls’ drive in the Condors’ zone resulted in a big rebound, spitting out to the high slot where Jo Blandisi pounced and sent it high glove side for the 2-1 Gulls lead with just over a minute left. I think it is safe to say that Jo Blandisi loves to hate on the Condors.

San Diego turned away a desperate Condors push and took the win to bring themselves into a three way tie for third place in the Pacific Division and take their point streak to ten.