Category: San Jose Barracuda

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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California AHL rivals, Reign and Barracuda, face each other for the 4th time this month, Reign takes home the crown with a 3-0 win

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Photo: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—The San Jose Barracuda followed Thanksgiving with another match against their cross-state rival, the Ontario Reign, whom they have now faced four times this month. Tonight, the Reign refused to give up their crown and defeated the Cuda 3-0 over the course of seven minutes (all in the final period).

Roster update: This afternoon, the Cuda welcomed forward Marc-Olivier Roy who closed a professional tryout agreement with the club. Roy, originally selected 56th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2013, was acquired from the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL and currently has 16 points (five goals and 11 assists).

The first period remained utterly silent, with the exception of strong defensive plays from both teams. Neither team took a penalty, and the board remained numberless. The Cuda picked up a man-advantage (the only one of the match) just over two minutes into the second period when Reign forward Paul LaDue was benched for tripping. Cuda defenseman Jeremy Roy took a shot off the far post which would have been his third goal of the season. The Cuda fired two more shots which were deflected off the post, keeping the game scoreless. At 18:13, both Jon Martin (San Jose) and Stepan Falkovsky (Ontario) were sent to the penalty box for roughing. This resulted in a two-minute four-on-four play, on which neither team gained an advantage offensively.

The Reign turned things around in the third period (which began with the remaining 13 seconds of the four-on-four play) when Stepan Falkovsky appeared from left point and scored at 1:57, giving the Reign the lead. Less than three minutes later, at 4:25, Brett Sutter fired the puck from the slot to make the score 2-0. Wanting in on the action, Justin Auger took a pass from Mike Amadio and found the back of the net (and his way past Cuda goaltender Parker Gahagen) at the seven-minute mark. The Cuda remained scoreless through the remaining 13 minutes of play, taking their third loss to Ontario this month.

Gahagen made his professional debut tonight and, even though he allowed three goals on 27 shots, he fought hard and his determination never wore thin. Ontario’s Cal Petersen, the No. 2 AHL goaltender, stopped all of the San Jose’s 23 shots, got his second career shutout and a second consecutive win over the Cuda.

San Jose, now 7-8, will host Pucks and Paws Night on Sunday afternoon (3pm) as they take on the San Diego Gulls.

In case you were wondering how the Cuda celebrated Turkey Day, check out the photo below from their team dinner in Ontario on Thursday night:

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Credit: @sjbarracuda

SJ Barracuda cash in on the power play to upend the Rampage 5-3

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic & Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Julius Bergman’s first goal of the season couldn’t have come at a better time as it proved to be the game winning goal in a 5-3 San Jose Barracuda rebound victory over the visiting San Antonio Rampage at SAP Center.

Special teams played a huge role in the game as the Barracuda took advantage of their power play opportunities throughout the game, while the Rampage were stymied by the Barracuda’s penalty kill.

Forward Rourke Chartier started the scoring off with his second goal of the season when he blasted a shot from the left point past Rampage goalie Sam Brittain for a power play goal just five minutes into the first period. The Barracuda coming into the game had a woeful power play as they were just 8-for-59 (13.6%) before Chartier’s goal. Calvan Fitzgerald and Jeremy Roy received the assists on the play.

“It’s always good getting on the board first,” said head coach Roy Sommer. “Our power play was effective I guess enough. We scored three goals. We haven’t done that in a while since the Texas game. We just got pucks to the net, kept it pretty simple and was effective.”

The Rampage would tie it up just 45 seconds into the second period when Brandon Ranford scored his seventh goal of the season after getting the rebound off a shot from Sam Blais that found his stick and put it past backup goalie Antoine Bibeau from the left slot.

The Barracuda would continue their success on the power play when Rampage defenseman Mason Geertsen threw a vicious elbow to the head of the Chartier that earned him a major penalty and a game misconduct ending his night just 1:49 into the second period. The hit also ended Chartier’s night as well as he went off the ice with an upper body injury and did not return to the game.

“It’s unfortunate cause he’s just coming back off an injury,” said John McCarthy on Chartier’s injury. “To see a hit like that, you never want to see that so we hope he gets back quickly.”

Defenseman Jeremy Roy made the Rampage pay when he scored his third goal on the season while the Barracuda had a 6-on-4 advantage during a delayed penalty at 3:16 of the second period. Marcus Sorensen picked up his seventh assist. McCarthy then tipped in a Fitzgerald slap shot from up at the point seconds before the major penalty on Geertsen expired to increase the lead to 3-1. It was McCarthy’s 2nd goal on the year.

The Barracuda were able to kill off a 5-on-3 power play opportunity the Rampage had midway through the second period when Michael Brodzinki and Brandon Bolig went to the sin bin 90 seconds apart. McCarthy was stopped on a shorthanded breakaway during the 5-on-3 kill.

The Ramapage didn’t go away into that gentle Thanksgiving Eve night as they scored the next two goals. Forward AJ Greer cut the lead to 3-2 when he scored on a pretty backhander with less than four minutes remaining in the second period after taking a cross-ice pass from Andrew Agozzino and was able to put a deke on Bibeau scoring into an empty net. The Barracuda turned the puck over at the blue line that led to the 3-on-2 rush that produced Greer’s fourth goal on the season. Nicholas Meloche tied the score with his first goal on the season at 6:54 of the third period after taking a pass from Blais and wristing a shot top-shelf past Bibeau from the right slot.

Bergman’s heroics came late in the third period when he rifled in a shot from the right point that beat Brittain through the five-hole to give the Barracuda the lead with 8:50 reaming. Brandon Mashinter gathered the puck from behind the net and slung a pass back up to Bergman setting up the defenseman’s first goal of the season.

Fliip Sandberg iced the game with an empty-net goal with 45 seconds left in the game to seal the deal for the Barracuda. It was his fifth goal of the season, tying him for the team lead with Sorensen.

Bibeau stopped 27 out of 30 shots to earn his fourth victory of the season. While Brittain, who made his first start of the season, received the loss with 25 saves on 29 shots.

NOTES: The Barracuda were 3-7 on the PP, the Rampage were 0-4. The Barracuda improved their record to .500 at 7-7-0-1. They now have 15 points and are tied with the San Diego Gulls for fifth place in the Pacific Division.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda head down to Southern California to take on the Ontario Reign on Friday evening at 7 pm.

San Jose Barracuda Podcast with Ana Kieu: Barracuda gear up for San Antonio tonight; Cuda have won three of last five

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 photo credit: sjbarracuda.com

On the SJ Barracuda Podcast with Ana:

1. Ana predicted that the Reign would split the set with the Barracuda. They’re both rivals, to say the least. Just how tough of an opponent are they?

2. The Barracuda played one of those games against the Reign in Ontario. Give us your three takeaways from that road game.

3. Ana also predicted that the Barracuda would win 5-1 over the Rampage last Wednesday. They’re gearing up for their game at 7 pm tonight. Do Ana still think that they’re going to finish the six-game homestand with a win?

4. Also Ana give us the three keys for the Barracuda vs. Gulls game at home on Sunday, November 26.

5. How excited do you think the fans get when the Barracuda offer $2 beers and $1 hot dogs at the Tank?

6. The Barracuda’s time change for their game against the Condors on March 2, 2018?

7. Also it’s promotion night at the Barracuda it’s wallpapers for #WallpaperWednesday?

8. Is rookie forward Alex True making an impression on the Barracuda?

Ana Kieu does the SJ Barracuda podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Barracuda Center Alex True – Profile

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By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—Born into hockey, as he describes, Alex True has had a stick in his hand for as long as he can remember; he was placed on skates for the first time when he was two years old and has never looked back since.

20 years old, True, the son of a former Danish hockey player, was reared in Copenhagen. From a very young age, he would watch his father skate and join him at home to watch different Danish teams on TV. As he got older, his knowledge of the NHL increased. His mother is a native of San Diego, which prompted True to root for the three California NHL teams (Sharks, Kings, and Ducks).

In 2013-14, True joined his first official hockey team, Rungsted Ishockey, in his native Denmark; he appeared in 11 games that season. The following season (2013-14), he came to North America to play for the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). He had 12 points (six goals and six assists) in 35 games.

In 2015-16, True, then 18, nearly tripled his number of points from the previous season with Seattle; he had 32 (14 goals and 18 assists) in 65 regular season games and added an additional 10 (six goals and four assists) in 18 playoff games. That same year, he served as an alternate captain for Team Denmark in the U20 World Junior Championships.

Last season was True’s career-peaking year. He collected 40 points (25 goals and 15 assists) in 66 games and was appointed Seattle’s “Most Dedicated Player.” In 20 playoff games he had 22 points (12 goals and 10 assists) and a plus-11 rating. Leading his team to the WHL Championships (which included a Memorial Cup run) has been his biggest career accomplishment thus far, he noted. He was also named captain of Team Denmark in the U20 World Junior Championships.

True is honored to be a part of the Sharks franchise and receive the opportunity to learn and grow holistically, from improving on the ice to bonding with his Barracuda teammates on the road, who continue to support one another as they work their way up to the NHL. It is no shocker that True, like his nonlocal teammates, appreciates the warm California weather above all else, making it bearable to be outside and explore surrounding cities on off days.

Barracuda Defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald – Profile

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By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—Cavan Fitzgerald is commencing his first season of professional hockey with the Barracuda this year, which he could not be more excited for.

“Getting to where I am today [with the Sharks] has been the biggest accomplishment of my hockey career,” he said after a morning practice.

The 21 year-old defenseman grew up in Boston and was influenced by his two older brothers (now 24 and 26), both of whom played hockey growing up. He left home for the first time at age 14 to play hockey in Nova Scotia, Canada, during which he lived with his grandparents. In 2013, he began his career with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (having played for the Shawinigan Cataractes and the Cape Breton Tradesmen before that, splitting time between the two teams). He had 31 points (four goals and 27 assists) in 40 games with Halifax in 2014-15 as a rookie.

After the first seven games of the following season (2015-16), Fitzgerald was ranked second on the team in goals (with three) and T-3rd in the QMJHL. His Halifax career would come to a close after three more games for a total of 50. During this time, he played alongside current Sharks forward and 2015 draft pick Timo Meier and, with his rankings, he was tied with Jeremy Roy, who is now one of his fellow defenseman on the Barracuda.

Fitzgerald attended the Sharks’ training camp in 2015 as a tryout before inking a three-year entry deal with the franchise that October.

“The Sharks are an unbelievable team, San Jose is an unbelievable city. It means the world to be a part of this organization. Every step of the way, you can’t take for granted.”

When becoming a pro hockey player, one is not only encouraged to improve on the ice on a day-to-day basis. Independence plays a big role in self growth off the ice, according to Fitzgerald, who is living on his own for the first time and learning the fundamentals of household basics, such as cooking, he noted. Also, he admitted that he seldom misses the snow. San Jose has a lot in store for him as both hockey season and his residence continue.