Category: AHL

Late 3rd Period Goal Dooms Barracuda 4-2 against Condors

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sjbarracuda.com photo

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The home woes continued for the San Jose Barracuda (11-11-0-1) as they suffered their third straight home defeat in 4-2 loss to the Bakersfield Condors (10-11) Friday night at the SAP Center.

Coming back home riding a two game winning streak against the Tuscon Roadrunners, the Cuda weren’t able to ride that momentum against Bakersfield. The Condors received the game winning goal from Branden Chistoffer with just 1:21 remaining in the third period after taking a pass from Patrick Russel and burying the puck past Antoine Bibeau (7-6).

The Condors struck first when Russell scored his 6th goal of the season just three minutes into the first period off an assist from Grayson Downing. The teams earned two power play opportunities apiece during the period, but neither could find the back of the net in the remaining 17 minutes and the scored remained 1-0 in favor of the Condors going into second frame.

In the second period, the Barracuda tied the game at 1-1 when Nick DeSimone scored his first goal of the season when he wristed a shot from just outside the top of the circle beating Condors goalie Nick Ellis (6-5-1) at 15:49. It didn’t take the Condors long to quickly answer back with a power play goal scored by Ty Rattie, his ninth of the season at the 17:40. Bakersfield would take 2-1 lead into the second intermission.

San Jose stormed out of the gates in the third period when Brandon Bolig evened the scored only 1:15 into the period, when Brandon Bollig scored his 5th goal of the season after slamming home a sweet behind-the-back feed from Alexander True. However that would be the last goal they would score as Bakersfield limited the Cuda’s chances the rest of the period. Keegan Lowe would tack on an empty-net goal, his second of the season with just two seconds left to seal the much needed victory for Bakersfield.

Ellis earned the victory making 19 saves on 21 shots, while Bibeau suffered the loss, making 25 saves on 28 shots.

NOTES: San Jose went 0/4 on the power play while Bakersfield was 1/6. The attendance was 5,101.

UP NEXT: San Jose takes on Bakersfield on Sunday at 3 pm at the SAP Center. Fans are encouraged to arrive early due to the Santa Run taking place in downtown San Jose that will have many streets closed around SAP Center.

Barracuda capture Roadrunners and overthrow them with a 5-2 win

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Photo: sanjosebarracuda.com

By Alexandra Evans

One win over the Tucson Roadrunners this week was clearly not enough for the San Jose Barracuda as they chased them down Wile E. Coyote style, earning a 5-2 victory at the Tuscon Convention Center.

San Jose put up two goals in the first period less than one minute apart. Julius Bergman sniped the first one on the power play at 12:45, and John McCarthy, who assisted Bergman’s goal, collected Paul Martin’s rebound off of Tucson goalie Hunter Miska and shot the puck, backhanded, past him. The Cuda ended the first period with a 2-0 lead; each team had eight shots on goal.

The scoring action translated into the second period as Brandon Mashinter received a pass from Jacob Middleton, putting the puck in the net just before the four minute mark. Emerson Clark notched his first goal with the Cuda at the five minute mark when he circled around Miska and located the low slot. Down 4-0, the Roadrunners tried to retaliate later in the period as Michael Bunting got a helper from Mario Kempe and sniped the puck past Cuda goalie Parker Gahagen at 9:10. Three minutes later, Trevor cheek scored one unassisted (and shorthanded) on a breakaway. The Cuda’s lead was cut in half, 4-2, at the end of the second.

Gahagen, who earned his first professional win tonight in the desert, and San Jose’s defense did not allow any additional goals in the third period. Brandon Bollig earned the team a 5-2 victory with an empty netter two minutes before the match ended.

The Cuda, now 11-10, return to action at home this weekend for a double header against the Bakersfield Condors: Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 1:15 p.m.

San Jose Barracuda Podcast with Marko Ukalovic : Cuda play game two of series tonight; early scoring a key for Barracuda

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sjbarracuda photo: San Jose Barracuda (17) John McCarthy stands in front of the net anticipating a play at Tucson against the Roadrunners on Tuesday night

On the Barracuda podcast with Marko:

1 It’s the first of a two game series in Tucson as the SJ Barracuda down 3-0 came back from behind and defeated the Roadrunners 3-2

2 The Roadrunners who defeated the Barracuda last Friday 3-1 made Tuesday night a thrill to beat the Roadrunners in their own building

3 The Barracuda’s Tim Clifton scored in the first period, Jon Martin scored at 2:30 of the second period, and Alex True scored the game winner in the third period

4 The Barracuda will need offense early as the Roadrunners like to crash the net early in games as they both play game two of the brief series tonight.

5 San Jose goaltender Antoine Bibeau stopped 23 shots out of 25 and didn’t allow a goal in the second period

Marko Ukalovic does the SJ Barracuda podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Barracuda chase down Roadrunners 3-2

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Photo: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

Another great comeback for the San Jose Barracuda tonight! The team traveled to the desert to face the Tucson Roadrunners, who previously defeated them 3-1 on Friday night in San Jose.

Tucson, who is ranked #1 in the Pacific Division of the AHL, netted a goal less than three minutes in (at 2:13), courtesy of Jens Looke. San Jose earned a five-on-three power play opportunity, but failed to take advantage of it. However, not long after, Tim Clifton scored his first professional goal–a rebound off of Tucson’s goalie, Hunter Miska–tying the score 1-1 with just over four minutes remaining in the first 20 minutes. San Jose exceeded Tucson in shots on goal 13-9.

Jon Martin wanted in on the scoring action and scored two and a half minutes into the second period to double San Jose’s score. Emerson Clark assisted the goal, and also had his first fight as a member of the Barracuda 12 and a half minutes in. It was at this point that Clark and Tucson’s Tye McGinn were sent to the penalty box for fighting (McGinn was also penalized for slashing), making the game a four-on-four play. Almost a minute later (at 11:39), Mario Kempe scored for Tucson and tied the score again, which remained 2-2 until the third period.

Very quickly into the final interval, Jeremy Roy located Alex True passed him the puck from the blue line, allowing True to give San Jose a 3-2 lead. San Jose’s defense (and starting goalie Antoine Bibeau) remained sound throughout the final 20 minutes, and they took home the 3-2 victory.

Bibeau blocked 23 shots out of 25, not allowing a single goal in the final period. Bibeau defeated Miska, who stopped 24 shots out of 27.

San Jose will face Tucson again in the desert on Wednesday night before returning home this weekend for a doubleheader against the Bakersfield Condors.

Roster update: Sharks defenseman Paul Martin has been assigned to the Barracuda for conditioning purposes as he recently returned to the ice after a two-month recovery from an ankle injury.

Additionally, Danny O’Regan has been called up to the Sharks again as they prepare to face the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames in Canada later this week.

Barracuda let Roadrunners escape with a 3-1 win

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—The San Jose Barracuda put up a solid defensive fight through Friday night’s match against the Tucson Roadrunners, who managed to notch two goals in the final two minutes of the game and earn a 3-1 win.

Both teams played sound defensively in the first period until the final two minutes when Roadrunners’ Michael Bunting approached the net, prompting Cuda goaltender Antoine Bibeau to move out of the net to stop what looked like a play. With Bibeau out of the way, Bunting put the puck right in the net at the 18:08 mark to give Tucson the lead.

In the second period, Rudolfs Balcers scored a power play goal at the 3:08 mark. Despite putting up an additional 16 shots (for 29 total), including some promising attempts from Danny O’Regan on a five-on-three run, the Cuda failed to make it past Hunter Miska, but managed to stop the Roadrunners from scoring again…until the end of third period.

Both teams held one another scoreless for the first 18 minutes of the third, when all of a sudden, Mike Sislo copped a rebound goal with a minute and a half remaining, followed by another from Bunting 23 seconds later to make the final score 3-1.

“It happened so quick,” Bibeau said of Tucson’s final two goals. Despite each “blink of an eye” (so to speak), he saw the puck far better than he had during Wednesday’s 6-0 shutout loss.

Bibeau, who came off of his fifth consecutive win on Sunday evening in Bakersfield, agreed that the team’s defense was very sound throughout the entire match. The team’s inability to score impacted the game, but did not reflect their effort as a whole.

The Roadrunners are ranked #1 in the Pacific Division of the AHL, and some may wonder if it takes even more momentum and strength to stand up to such a team. Not necessarily, according to Bibeau. He explained that there was not much the Cuda needed to change as far as effort, as, coming off of the 6-0 shutout loss, effort was more important to them than whether or not they defeated the Roadrunners (whose sound playing styles he acknowledged, and the fact that they stimulated strong competition that evening).

Edging on their next two matches against Tucson on Tuesday and Wednesday (in the desert), Bibeau said that taking time to relax on the team’s off days will serve them well, and that they will play the next two games with a mindset no different than one which they would have against a lower-ranked team.

Roster update: Danny O’Regan was reassigned to the Barracuda from the Sharks this afternoon, and Bryan Moore was recalled from the Allen Americans. Additionally, the club signed Emerson Clark of the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen to a professional tryout agreement.

Heat scorch the SJ Barracuda with a 6-0 shutout win

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic and Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE–The third time was definitely a charm for the Stockton Heat as they crushed the San Jose Barracuda in a 6-0 shutout victory at SAP Center on Wednesday night.

Led by Spencer Foo’s first hat trick of the season, the Heat came into the game having a 0-2 record against the Barracuda this season. They made the most of their shots early on in the game as they scored three goals on just eight shots, proving quality over quantity.

Hunter Shinkaruk started off the scoring for the Heat just 5:11 into the first period when he skated in alone off a odd man rush and snuck in a shot passed Antoine Bibeau (6-4) on the short side of the goal.

The Barracuda couldn’t capitalize on separate 2-on-1 opportunities by Jon Martin and captain John McCarthy in the first period as both player’s shots missed the net.

Stockton goalie Jon Gillies (7-5-1) recorded his second shutout of the season on 25 saves. The highlight of his game came with 11 minutes left in the third period when stopped three point blank chances by the Barracuda. Adam Helewka’s back-hander on a breakaway and two subsequent rebound chances were stoned away by Gillies to preserve the shutout.

The Barracuda were guilty of standing around watching the puck when Defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon was wide open in the right slot and scored his third goal of the season beating Bibeau top self for a 2-0 lead. Ramus Andersson assisted on the Heat’s first two goals.

Foo scored the first goal of his hat trick at 9:07 of the 2nd period on tip in from a shot from Oliver Kylington along the left side of the boards as the puck redirected right between the five-hole of Bibeau. Head Coach Roy Sommer had seen enough and pulled Bibeau immediately after and replaced him with backup Parker Gahagen to try shake up his team’s lackadaisical play.

“We had some breakdowns defensively,” head coach Rommer said after the game. “It didn’t feel like a game where we didn’t have any emotion to me. I mean they were the ones who carried all the emotion, not us.”

Foo then tallied his second goal of the game at 15:40 of the third period on a power play goal skated in alone after receiving the puck and put a back-hander past Gahagen. The Heat had four goals on their first 12 shots.

Marek Hrivik continued the barrage when he scored his seventh goal of the season after the Cuda turned the puck over in their own zone and Hrvik was all alone in front of Gahagen putting the puck past the five-hole for a 5-0 lead

Foo would complete his hat trick and the scoring for the Heat when he was able to bury home a rebound shot from Oliver Kylington that beat Gahagen into the net. After a video review the goal was deemed good.

NOTES: The loss for Bibeau snapped his five-game winning streak. Gahagen finished his night with 12 saves on 15 shots. San Jose out shot Stockton 25-23. San Jose was 0/4 on the power play while Stockton cashed in, going 2/4. Stockton improved to 13-6-0-2 and with 28 points are in second place in the Pacific Division while San Jose currently sits sixth with 19 points at 9-9-0-1.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda take on the Pacific Division leading Tuscon Roadrunners on Friday 12/8 at SAP Center at 7 pm.

San Jose Barracuda Podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Cuda send key players up to Sharks; Coach Sommer enjoys 700th win

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sjbarracuda.com photo: San Jose Barracua goalie Antonine Bibeau (34) puts a stop on a shot from the Bakersfield Condors on Saturday night for the Barracuda’s second straight win 2-1

On the podcast Barracuda podcast with Marko:

1 The San Jose Barracuda who won their last contest last Sunday in Bakersfield 2-1 against the Condors which was a key win coming away from the road trip

2 The win was a high watermark for San Jose head coach Roy Sommer who picked up his 700th victory of his AHL career

3 Barracuda goaltender Antonine Bebeau held off the Condors to only 20 shots for his fifth straight win and the Barradcuda’s second straight win

4 The Barracuda’s Calvin Fitzgerald tied the game at 16:51 in the first period 1-1 and the Barracuda’s Manny Wiederer got a top shelf short sided goal at 8:42 in the second period to help the Barracuda take the lead.

5 The Barracuda host Stockton tonight and Tucson on Friday night at SAP Center. The Barracuda can get a four game win streak going if they can get the next two games at their home ice

Marko Ukalovic does the SJ Barracuda podcasts and writes with Alexandra Evans covering all home and away games at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Barracuda defeats Condors 2-1 for Coach Roy Sommer’s 700th career AHL win

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By: Alexandra Evans

BAKERSFIELD–First things first, the San Jose Barracuda’s win over the Bakersfield Condors tonight marked their coach Roy Sommer’s 700th career win, the most wins of any coach in AHL history.

Roster update: Marcus Sorensen was called up to the Sharks yesterday. He exceeds all Barracuda players in points with 14, and ranks T-2nd in goals (5) and assists (9). Manuel Wiederer has also returned to the ice following a concussion. Also, defenseman Michael Brodzinski was moved to the forward position, playing right wing for the evening.

Both teams excelled defensively in the first period, though the Cuda could not manage to make it past the Condors’ defense and were, at one point, outshot 9-0. Forward Iiro Pakarinen, who was recently reassigned to the Condors from the Edmonton Oilers (their NHL affiliate), made a wrist shot over Cuda goaltender Antoine Bibeau’s to give the Condors a 1-0 lead on the power play at the 12:42. Defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald tied the score at 16:51 with a wrist shot from the blue line, assisted by Jeremy Roy and Rudolfs Balcers. The score remained tied 1-1 at the end of the first period.

Each team held one another scoreless in the second period, at the end of which the Condors had 19 shots compared to the Cuda’s nine. Wiederer handed the Cuda a 2-1 victory when he notched a goal, his second of the season, at 8:42, assisted by John McCarthy and Jacob Middleton.

Bibeau made 30 saves on 31 shots for his fifth straight win this season, defeating Condors goaltender Eddie Pasquale who made 18 saves on 20 shots.

The Cuda will face the Condors, who beat them 6-0 in the preseason, another nine times this season. They are back at home on Wednesday, December 6 to face the Stockton Heat.

San Jose Barracuda Podcast with Ana Kieu: Cuda face Bakersfield Condors Sunday night; prelude to two game homestand

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photo by San Jose Barracuda Media Relations Dept

On the SJ Barracuda podcast with Ana:

1. You predicted the Barracuda would beat the Rampage 5-1 and the final score from Wednesday was 5-3. Why was the score so close?

2. Give us a brief recap of the Barracuda vs. Reign game Friday night.

3. The Barracuda hosted the Gulls on Sunday. Did you get a Marc-Edouard Vlasic bobblehead?

4. The Barracuda offered a family pack of four tickets and four hot dogs for only $48 during Sunday’s game vs. the Gulls. How many families do you think came out for this special offer?

5. The Barracuda recalled Americans forward Spencer Asuchak Saturday afternoon. What are your thoughts on this roster move?

6. Give us a brief recap on the Barracuda vs. Gulls game Sunday.

7. The Barracuda will embark on a quick, 2-game road trip on Sunday and begin with a game vs. the Condors. Give us your three keys to the game

Ana does the SJ Barracuda podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com join Marko Ukalovic next Wed Dec 6th for the next Barracuda podcast

Gulls fly over San Jose, but Barracuda blows them out of the park with a 5-3 comeback

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Photo: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Barracuda players, their families, staff, crowd members, and press were surrounded by canines as the Barracuda (8-8) took on the San Diego Gulls (7-10) this afternoon at SAP Center. Tonight’s crowd, which consisted of both humans and pooches, was the largest the Cuda has had since the season commenced.

Roster update: Forward Spencer Asuchuk was recalled from the Allen Americans and made his first 2017-18 appearance with the Cuda this afternoon. Asuchuk played with the Cuda in last year’s Calder Cup playoffs run. Marc-Olivier “Marco” Roy made his second appearance with the Cuda along with his first win.

After a 4-1 loss the day after Thanksgiving, the Cuda were determined to make a comeback. Since the start of the season, they have shown strength in doing so, coming back to beat the Ontario Reign, Texas Stars, San Antonio Rampage, Cleveland Monsters, and Manitoba Moose in matches following losses.

Offense and defense were strong on both ends in the first 20 minutes. The Cuda outshot the Gulls 10-5, with John McCarthy scoring the first goal just before the 12-minute mark, courtesy of Marcus Sorensen and Rudolfs Balcers. San Jose held San Diego scoreless for the remainder of the period.

Antoine Bibeau stepped in the net for Troy Grosenick at the start of the second period. San Diego amped up their offense. Despite the fact that San Jose exceeded them in shots on goal, San Diego notched three goals within the first five minutes. Julius Nattinen nailed the first one 51 seconds in, followed by Austin Ortega at 3:47 and then Giovanni Fiore at 4:11. The Cuda prevented the Gulls from scoring additional goals, ending the period on a power play, trailing 3-1. 

And then the momentum arose. The Cuda made two comeback goals in under 30 seconds to tie the score 3-3. Rudolfs Balcers notched a power-play goal at 3:57 and Adam Helewka, with his stellar hand-eye coordination, joined in on the action to score his second goal of the season at 4:20. Helewka sniped another one past Gulls goaltender Reto Berra at 10:38, breaking the tie and providing his team and the crowd with some relief. Two minutes later, Olivier Archambault posted an unassisted, game-winning goal. The final score was 5-3.

Bibeau made 14 saves on 17 shots to get the big win, while San Diego netminder Reto Berra had 34 saves on 39 shots.

Both Balcers and Helewka have been known to put up numbers–specifically scoring goals–throughout their careers, but tonight was the first time both of them scored since the season opener.

“I can’t take all the credit,” Helewka, glowing with satisfaction, said of his goals. “[My linemates, Spencer Asuchuk, Jon Martin, and I] had chemistry almost right away. [Instant chemistry] is rare, especially how hard it is to play nowadays, creating offense.”

Balcers proved himself to be a numbers guy last season with the Kamloops Blazers with 40 goals and 37 assists for a total of 67 points. So why did it take 15 games for him to find the back of the net?

“It’s about being patient,” Balcers, who leads the Cuda in assists with 11, contended in a post-game scrum. “I knew goals were going to come, but I didn’t know when… I haven’t had those barriers in my career, where you are right there [beside the net], but the puck doesn’t go in, but you can’t really do anything. Just work hard and be patient.”

One could attribute his goal-scoring hiatus to growing pains, which was discussed amongst Cuda staff and media profusely at the start of the season. Balcers, a rookie, has been improving with each game, and now that he has the monkey off his back, his scoring game should pick up as the season progresses.

Archambault inked a Player Tryout Agreement (PTO) with the Cuda on October 20. He said that he earned his second goal of the season tonight by just sticking and working in tandem with his line-mates, Marc-Olivier Roy and Brandon Bollig.

The Cuda head to Bakersfield for their next match on December 3 to face the Condors, affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.

Also, Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic made an appearance with his pups tonight, and had the honor of making the first puck drop.

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