Nic Kerdiles scored on the final shot of the shootout in addition to his first-period goal to give the San Diego Gulls a 3-2 victory over the Bakersfield Condors Friday evening in Bakersfield.
Kalle Kossila scored for the Gulls and Joey LaLeggia for Bakersfield during the opening three rounds of the shootout, sending it into the sudden death phase.
Condors coach Gerry Fleming chose to have his team shoot first throughout the shootout. David Gust opened the fourth round with a goal for Bakersfield. Giovanni Fiore extended the shootout by scoring for the Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks American Hockey League affiliate.
Condors left wing Ryan Hamilton and Gulls center Eric Fehr failed to score in the fifth round.
Bakersfield center Joe Gambardella failed to score on the first shot of the sixth round.
The Condors (17-16-7-1) tied the score with one minute, 36 seconds to play on center Brad Malone’s shorthanded goal off a steal.
Neither team scored during the five-minute overtime, played with three skaters per team, two less than usual. The Gulls outshot Bakersfield, 3-1, in the overtime.
Both teams failed to score on power plays in overtime. The Gulls got the first power-play opportunity in overtime when Malone was called for holding 1:29 into overtime. The Condors had a man advantage for the final 27 seconds of overtime after Sam Carrick was called for slashing.
In overtime in the AHL, the team that suffered the penalty gets an extra skater.
Gulls center Corey Tropp scored the game’s first goal and assisted on the second before a crowd at Rabobank Arena announced at 4,583.
Tropp put a snap shot from the right faceoff circle past Laurent Brossoit 3:25 into the first period for his 10th goal of the season and 36th in his three seasons with the team, one behind Antoine Laganiere’s team record.
The Gulls increased their lead to 2-0 when Tropp passed to Kerdiles on a 2-on-1. Kerdiles’ shot sailed high over the crossbar but bounced off a stanchion on the back glass before ricocheting in off of Brossoit at 10:29 of the first period.
Rookie left wing Evan Polei scored his first goal in his three games with Bakersfield by putting a backhand shot through Berra’s legs 14:03 into the first period. Polei has spent most of the season with the Wichita Thunder, the Edmonton Oilers ECHL affiliate.
There was no scoring in the second period.
The Gulls league-leading power play was scoreless in four opportunities. The Gulls killed all three power-play opportunities for the Condors, Edmonton’s AHL affiliate.
Berra (10-6-0-0) made 29 saves. Brossoit (3-2-1-1) made 28.
Fehr engaged in his first fight of the season, brawling with Bakersfield center Josh Currie 16:26 into the second period. Both players received five-minute major penalties for the fight. Currie also received a two- minute minor penalty for a interference shortly before the fight.
“It was a desperate two points,” Gulls coach Dallas Eakins said after his team improved to 21-17-1-0, sixth in the AHL’s eight-team Pacific Division, two spots ahead of Bakersfield. “I think we played a much better game, but it wasn’t our best game. It’s good to grab those points even when you’re not your best.”
The Gulls announced before the game they had assigned center Mitch Hults to the Utah Grizzlies, the Ducks ECHL affiliate.
The two teams will play again Saturday night at Rabobank Arena.
— City News Service
