Fensore scores game-winner in overtime for Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves kicked off a three-game road trip when they faced the Condors on Friday night in Bakersfield, Calif.
Domenick Fensore scored the game-winner in overtime with the Wolves shorthanded, Bradly Nadeau had a goal and an assist and Felix Unger Sorum and Ty Smith also tallied to propel the Wolves to a 4-3 victory at Mechanics Bank Arena. Ryan Suzuki chipped in three assists in Chicago’s fifth win in a row and sixth in its last seven contests.
The Wolves jumped to an early lead when Nadeau struck 3 minutes, 35 seconds after the opening puck drop. Justin Robidas received a pass from Suzuki before feeding a streaking Nadeau, who one-timed a shot past Bakersfield netminder Olivier Rodrigue for his 17 th goal of the season. It marked the third consecutive game Nadeau has scored and the assist extended Robidas’ points streak to seven contests (goal, eight assists). Suzuki added his first helper of the game.
Drake Caggiula’s goal for the Condors just over five minutes later evened the score at 1-1 and that’s the way it stood heading into the first intermission.
Midway through the second, the Wolves regained the lead on Unger Sorum’s tally. Teammate Nikita Pavlychev stole the puck deep in the Bakersfield zone and flipped a backhand pass to Unger Sorum in the slot and the 19-year-old didn’t miss with a one-timer. Pavlychev had the lone assist on Unger Sorum’s third goal of the season.
After the Condors pulled even on James Hamblin’s goal early in the third, Smith gave the Wolves a 3-2 advantage with a power-play score with 5:48 remaining. The veteran defenseman unleashed a shot from the top of the left circle that sailed past a screened Rodrigue to the glove side. Nadeau and Suzuki recorded assists on Smith’s fourth goal of the season.
Again, the Condors answered and sent it to overtime when Hamblin found the back of the net with 17 seconds remaining with Bakersfield on the power play and its goalie pulled for an extra attacker.
Fensore ended it with the Wolves killing a penalty in overtime. The defenseman broke into the offensive zone two-on-one with Suzuki, took a feed from his teammate and banged home the winner — his sixth goal of the season.
Spencer Martin (27 saves) earned the win in goal for the Wolves while Rodrigue (19 saves) took the loss for the Condors.
Chicago moved to 24-16-2-0 on the season while Bakersfield fell to 19-15-5-2.