Last-minute goal gives Gold Kings win

R.J. Enga's point-blank slap shot with 57 seconds left gave the Colorado Gold Kings a 4-3 victory over Bakersfield in front of 5,221 fans at World Arena Friday night.

Enga's goal, his second of the evening, came on a broken play in the Condors zone and gave the Gold Kings (15-12-4) their first home victory over Bakersfield this season, while improving the team's overall home record to 10-4-3.

"(Mike) Nicholishen made a great defensive play and I was fortunate to have been in the right place to take the shot," Enga said. The team's leading scorer with 22 goals, and a former Colorado College standout, opened the scoring at 4:18 of the game beating Bakersfield goalie Scott Hay.

After the Condors (13-14-2) tied the score later in the first on a Paul Willett goal, Enga's linemate Colin Chaulk made it 2-1, followed by defenseman Mike Garrow's 10th goal of the season to give Colorado a 3-1 lead going into the second period. Chaulk, whose late goal sent the Gold Kings into a shootout last Saturday against Idaho, has scored goals in three consecutive games and is tied with Zac Boyer and Garrow for second on the team with 10 goals this season.

Although Bakersfield outplayed the Gold Kings in the second period and tied the score with a pair of goals, Colorado's powerful new first line of Enga, Chaulk and Boyer once again proved to be the difference. Desperate to find a answer to the team's scoring woes, Gold Kings coach Al Pedersen put the trio together against Idaho last week and the results have been strong.

"We're all on the same page," Enga said. "When we get in the zone, we have a good idea what the others are going to do and right now we're clicking real well."

While Chaulk and Enga combined for three goals against the Condors, Boyer added three assists, giving him five in the last two games. Enga has scored four goals in the last three games and is second in the WCHL.

NOTE: The Gold Kings got some help for their depleted defensive unit Friday night with the addition of Juraj Slovak who arrives from the Jackson Bandits of the ECHL where he played 16 games this season. While defenseman Darcy Johnson returns after being suspended for last week's games with Idaho, Jason Knox remains out of the lineup on a temporary leave of absence for personal business.

- Scott Jones may be reached at 636-0250 or gtsports@gazette.com

Copyright 2001
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.