The Bakersfield Condors put up a late surge but came up just short in a 4-3 loss to the Ontario Reign, in front of over 5,000 fans at Dignity Health Arena. Despite a pair of extra-attacker goals in the final minutes, Bakersfield couldn’t quite complete the comeback against a Reign squad that’s been tough all season.
The Condors came out firing-literally. Luke Prokop wasted no time, scoring on the game’s very first shot with a seeing-eye wrister from the right point. That’s back-to-back games with a goal for Prokop, who’s starting to find his offensive rhythm from the blue line.
But Ontario responded with a strong second period, flipping the script and taking control. They cashed in on a pair of deflections to grab a 2-1 lead and outshot Bakersfield 18-8 in the frame. It was a stretch where the Reign dictated pace and zone time, and the Condors found themselves chasing.
In the third, Glenn Gawdin gave Ontario some breathing room with a goal that stretched the lead to 3-1 with eight minutes to go. But Bakersfield wasn’t done.
James Hamblin, who’s been on a heater lately, cut the deficit to one with just under three minutes left, banging home a rebound while the Condors had the extra attacker on the ice. That marked his 14th goal of the season-and his 12th point in the last 12 games. He’s been a consistent spark plug, and his late-game presence was felt once again.
Ontario answered with an empty-netter to go up 4-2, but the Condors kept pushing. Viljami Marjala made things interesting with his 13th of the year, another extra-attacker tally, this time with just 44 seconds left. But that was as close as it would get.
Even in the loss, there are positives to pull. Bakersfield has now gone 11-3-2 over their last 16 games-a stretch that’s helped them stay firmly in the playoff picture. And with a 16-5-1 record at home, they’ve turned their barn into one of the toughest places to play in the AHL.
The Condors showed fight until the final horn. If they keep playing with that kind of energy and resilience, they’ll be a tough out for anyone down the stretch.