Super Goldies
Brothers combine for four goals in S-Kings 7-4 win over Bakersfield Condors
Cleve Dheensaw, Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, November 03, 2007

These brothers are solid Goldie.

Ash and Wes Goldie scored twice each to lead the Victoria Salmon Kings to their third consecutive ECHL victory with a 7-4 decision over the Bakersfield Condors yesterday before 3,757 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

"Mom will be proud," quipped Ash, who had a hat-trick in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Condors to followup on Wes' hat-trick last Saturday in a win over Las Vegas.

Asked if there was a sibling rivalry in effect, Wes quipped: "Maybe there's a little smirk here and there at each other [when one scores]. But it's always more fun when you're getting wins. That's the most important thing."

The brothers have six goals each this season as Victoria improved to 4-2. Bakersfield dropped to 3-3-1.

There was an amusing sign held up yesterday by a couple of fans with the Mario Brothers of computer game fame painted wearing Salmon Kings jerseys above the tag line: "Super Goldie Brothers."

Ash was the more super on this night, adding two excellent assists to finish with four points. Milan Gajic continued his strong season by scoring twice for Victoria, which buried Bakersfield in powerplay goals yesterday with five.

Meanwhile, the depleted Victoria defence held up fairly well despite a few lapses late in the third period. The ripple effect caused by injuries to the parent Vancouver Canucks' defence trickled down to the Salmon Kings via the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. Because Luc Bourdon went up to Vancouver from the Moose, Patrick Coulombe was called up to Manitoba from Victoria, leaving the Salmon Kings' already strapped blueline corps down to five players. Daniel Rahimi, who started the season with Victoria, was already in Manitoba.

"It's definitely a concern. But the biggest concern is if the Moose call up another defenceman from us, which is a real possibility," said Victoria GM Dan Belisle.

"But we just have to be patient and see what happens. If we make the effort to go out and get somebody, then if everybody comes back, it becomes crowded with too many defencemen."

But when you are undermanned on defence, it helps to have a couple of forwards who are worth their weight in Goldie.

The teams traded first-period goals yesterday with Ash Goldie counting on a two-man advantage for Victoria at 8:50 before Andrew Ianiero equalized for Bakersfield with a short-handed breakaway goal at 14:49.

A series of Victoria powerplay chances in the second period finally paid off when Wes Goldie got the puck past Yataka Fukufuji at 10:43. Later in the period, Victoria goaltender Julien Ellis made an outstanding diving glove-side save on yet another Bakersfield shorthanded breakaway to help preserve his third win in three starts.

Ash Goldie, on a deft deflection of a powerplay point shot by Matt Kelly, made it 3-1 at 2:30 of the third period. Ash then fed Gajic who made it 4-1 at 8:22 before Tim Konsorda brought Bakersfield back to within two with a quick wrist shot at 9:29. Wes Goldie then took a favourable bounce off a linesman's skate to score shorthanded to make it 5-2 at 11:27. Ash then recorded another assist, feeding Kevin Estrada from the corner at 14:01, as the score rose to 6-2 on another powerplay. Bakersfield pulled back to within two on goals by Justin Chwedoruk and Spencer Carbery before Gajic sealed the deal with yet another Victoria powerplay goal at 18:30. The teams close out their three-game set tonight at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Centre.