The Boys are Back in Town
By Alberto Muro
Teams
On October 9th, Bakersfield became a part of sports history. The Bakersfield Condors began their inaugural season in the American Hockey League (AHL) wearing jerseys that resembled their affiliates the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Condors goalie
Despite arriving late to the Rabobank Arena, a token of good will was bestowed upon me when a fan of the Bakersfield Condors could not stay at the game so they gave me their ticket to the event. The location of the seats was on the 2nd floor with the benefit of having a better view of the entire ice rink.
Face off Condors zone
The Grand Rapids Griffins were the opponents of the Condors for opening night, and they are affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings. Even though this was the first time that both teams met, there was no denying that a potential rivalry was in the making. The stars of the game were the goalies for both teams and fans were on the edge of their seats as a battle for the puck ensued.
Three scoreless periods passed, and neither team was letting their guard down. With 1:43 left in the final period, the Condors and Griffins were in a gridlock, but Condors left wing Andrew Miller managed to get the puck past Griffins goalie McCollum.
Players warming up.
As the game concluded, the Condors had a point lead over the Griffins making it quite an eventful evening for spectators. The final horn sounded as the Condors beat the Griffins 1-0, and the crowd erupted with joy. Furthermore, the Condors bench cleared as the players got on the ice and raised their sticks thanking all the fans for coming out.
Column.