photo from sjbarracuda.com

By Marko Ukalovic

If the Anaheim Ducks need any offensive help from their minor league club, they have a strong candidate who has been putting on a show lately. Sam Carrick scored a hat trick in leading the San Diego Gulls to a 9-3 victory over the San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday evening at Pachenga Arena.

With back-to-back to wins for San Diego, they climb past San Jose into sixth place in the Pacific Division after winning five of their last six game. For the ‘Cuda, they fall into the cellar with their fifth straight loss and continue to be winless in the month of November.

The nine goals given up by San Jose is the most goals they have surrendered in franchise history.

San Diego (5-7-0-0) drew first blood early in the first period. Isac Lunderstrom led Justin Kloos on a breakaway. Kloos beat ‘Cuda goalie Josef Korenar for his first of two goals at the 1:12 mark.

San Jose (4-7-0-1) looked like they would change their fortunes when they were scored two goals in 35 seconds part in the opening 20 minutes.

Danil Yurtaykin scored his first goal as a member of the Barracuda when he beat Gulls goalie Anthony Stolarz with a wrist shot at the 8:16 mark. Dalton Prout earned his first point as a member of the ‘Cuda in the second game of his rehab assignment with the primary assist.

Then, Antti Suomela scored the first of his two goals on the evening at the 8:51 mark. Manny Weiderer received the only assist on Suomela’s goal.

San Diego answered San Jose’s goals with three of their own to close out the first period. Alex Broadhurst scored on a breakaway (that would be theme of the game as the ‘Cuda gave up four breakaway goals on five chances) at the 11:25 mark. Blake Pietila and Daniel Sprong were credited with assists.

Carrick scored the next two goals. The first came on the power play at the 12:19 mark when he blasted a rocket of a shot past Korenar. Then five minutes later he got his second one at the 17:29 mark.

The only goal in the second period came from the stick of Suomela when he scored his second of the game at the 7:06 mark. Jeffery Viel and Keaton Middleton received the assists on Suomela’s third goal of the season.

San Jose out shot San Diego 13-9 in the middle frame and looked to take momentum into the second intermission as they were down by one-goal 4-3.

However, a complete collapse in a horrific third period by the ‘Cuda allowed San Diego to break the game wide open and turn the game into a laugher as the Gulls scored five goals, including two short-handed and one on the power play.

Carrick completed the hat trick just 1:43 into the period on the power play after knocking in on his rebound through the five-hole of Korenar. Carrick has tallied six goals in his last four games. Then, less than a minute later, Alex Dostie scored his third goal in four games and fourth of the season at the 2:23 mark.

Kiefer Sherwood scored his breakaway goal and third goal for San Diego in the first five minutes of the final frame at the 5:08 mark.

It was deja vu for Kloos as he scored his second breakaway goal, which looked almost identical to his first, short-handed for his second of the season at the 7:16 mark. Chase De Leo joined the offensive party and completed the scoring with a short-handed goal, his second of the season at the 17:25 mark.

Stolarz made 32 saves on 35 shots to earn his fifth victory of the season. It was a night Korenar would like to forget as he gave up all nine goals on 32 shots in the shellacking.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0/3 on the power play. San Diego was 2/5.

The announced attendance was 5,934.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda travel up to Stockton to take on the Heat on Saturday 11/16 at 6:00 pm at Stockton Arena.