Bullfrogs Hold Off Portland : Roller hockey: Late goals help Anaheim put away the Rage, 9-7, and remain atop the Pacific Division.

Fourth-quarter goals by Jim Brown, Ken Murchison and Savo Mitrovic helped the Bullfrogs hang on for a 9-7 victory over the Portland Rage before a crowd of 9,318 Wednesday night at The Pond of Anaheim.

Goalie Chris Gordon made some key saves in the final three minutes and Brad McCaughey had four assists for the Bullfrogs (7-1), who lead the Pacific Division of Roller Hockey International.

Murchison scored off an assist from McCaughey with 5:27 remaining for an 8-7 Bullfrogs lead and Mitrovic added a goal with one minute remaining.

Portland, tied for last in the Northwest Division, didn’t figure to give the Bullfrogs many problems, but the defending RHI champions only breathed a sigh of relief after Mitrovic’s goal.

Bullfrogs captain Kevin Kerr found his scoring touch early, notching a hat trick in the first 21 minutes to help the Bullfrogs to a 4-2 halftime lead.

Kerr finished with three goals and one assist, but left the game with 6:01 remaining when officials whistled him for a five-minute major penalty for slashing Portland’s Dennis Holland. The major penalty included a game-misconduct penalty to Kerr, and Portland’s Vadim Slivchenko, who had two goals and an assist, scored on the ensuing penalty shot to tie the score, 7-7.

Portland (1-6) lost its sixth consecutive game despite Chris Valicevic’s four goals and one assist.

The only thing that kept the offenses quiet was the delay of 1 hour 15 minutes before the game because of a wet concrete playing surface.

Gordon made 32 saves to post his third victory. Bullfrogs Coach Grant Sonier has alternated Gordon with goalie Rob Laurie in an effort to keep both fresh.

Laurie, who has won 14 consecutive starts, was named to play in the inaugural RHI all-star game. Laurie is second in the league in save percentage (.886) and has a goals against average of 4.75, fourth-best in the league.

And Gordon made some all-star saves Wednesday, posting the victory after taking the loss in the Bullfrogs’ 9-7 loss to San Diego on June 25.

Sonier didn’t fault his rookie goaltender for that loss. Gordon made 48 saves in the first regulation defeat of the franchise’s 25-game history.

“We got way too aggressive against San Diego,” Sonier said. “It was a matter of the rest of the team not playing well in front of Chris.”

The Bullfrogs continued their spotty play and gave up too many odd-man rushes on Gordon, but had enough to remain unbeaten at home.

Forward Victor Gervais, who had one goal and one assist, returned to action after missing two games with a moderate concussion he suffered June 23 in the 7-6 victory over San Jose.

Notes

After finishing 17-0-1 last season, the one blemish an overtime-shootout loss against the Blades, and starting this season with five consecutive victories, the Bullfrogs lost in regulation for the first time last weekend. “The streak put a lot of pressure on the guys,” Bullfrogs Coach Grant Sonier said. “I think there was a certain amount of relief. They all hate to lose, but it made them realize they’re human, and if we don’t play hard every night we’re going to get beat.” . . . Defenseman Yuri Krivokhija, who had a goal and 11 assists in five games, remained sidelined with a bruised rotator cuff he suffered in the 7-6 victory over San Jose, June 23. “We’ll re-evaluate Yuri in a week,” Sonier said. “We won’t rush him back.” . . . The Bullfrogs travel Saturday to San Diego and return to The Pond of Anaheim on Sunday to play host to Oakland in the team’s final game before the RHI all-star game in Vancouver, July 9. ESPN will broadcast the all-star game July 11.