Colorado Drops Third Straight in 4-1 Loss to Condors
Feb 14, 2023
LOVELAND, CO. – Bakersfield scored three unanswered goals to break a 1-1 tie, as the Condors defeated the Colorado Eagles 4-1 on Tuesday, handing Colorado its third- straight loss. Forward Brandon Cutler scored the Eagles lone goal in the defeat. Bakersfield forwards Xavier Bourgault, Luke Esposito, Ty Tullio and Justin Bailey all found the back of the net, while goaltender Calvin Pickard made 32 saves on 33 shots to earn the win in net.
Bakersfield would strike just 17 seconds into the game when Bourgault collected a pass between the circles and snapped a wrister past Eagles goalie Justus Annunen to give the Condors an early 1-0 edge.
Colorado would kill off a pair of Bakersfield power plays in the opening 20 minutes, while failing to convert on a man-advantage of its own, as the two teams headed to the first intermission with the Condors still in the lead, 1-0.
The Eagles would tie things up when Cutler tracked down a loose puck on top of the crease and swept it home to level the score at 1-1 at the 5:28 mark of the second period. The goal was Cutler’s first as an Eagle, after signing a professional tryout agreement with the team on Tuesday.
The momentum would take a swing when Esposito grabbed the puck off a faceoff in the Colorado zone and backhanded a shot from the slot that would light the lamp and give the Condors a 2-1 advantage with 11:55 left to play in the middle frame.
The lead would grow when Tullio sliced through the zone and wired a wrister from the top of the right-wing circle past Annunen, putting the Condors up 3-1 at the 11:43 mark of the second stanza. Each team would put up 12 shots in the period, as Bakersfield carried its 3-1 advantage into the second intermission.
A breakaway midway through the third period would seal Colorado’s fate, as Bailey beat Annunen between the pads to push the Condors lead to 4-1 at the 9:02 mark of the final frame.
The Eagles were outshot in the contest 35-33, as both teams finished 0-for-3 on the power play. Annunen suffered the loss in net, allowing four goals on 35 shots.
The Eagles will be back in action when they take on the Bakersfield Condors on Wednesday, February 15th at 7:05pm MT at the Budweiser Events Center. Tickets for all regular season games are on sale now and start at just $21. You can find more information on ticket packages, theme tickets, and promotional nights, by visiting ColoradoEagles.com or by calling the ticket department at (970) 686-7468.
