Category: Uncategorized

Vikings win an ugly defensive showcase 3-0 over Raiders

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Minnesota Viking Ivan Pace Jr. celebrated his game clinching interception with his teammates in his team’s 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday DEC 10, 2023. (Minnesota Vikings)

by Marko Ukalovic

LAS VEGAS — The scoreboard operator didn’t do much to earn his paycheck at Allegiant Stadium.

In a game where both teams defenses dominated for 60 minutes, the Minnesota Vikings beat the Las Vegas Raiders 3-0 in an ugly played game on Sunday afternoon down in the desert.

Las Vegas has lost three games in a row with their slim playoff hopes slipping farther away. Minnesota snapped its two-game losing streak as it battles for one of the final Wild Card berths in the NFC.

Minnesota (6-6) went three and out in its first drive as Raiders 2023 first round draft pick Tyree Wilson recorded his second sack of the season when he sacked Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs on a 3rd and 5.

Las Vegas (5-7) was able to generate a couple of first downs on its first two drives but penalties on each drive stalled them out near midfield as Minnesota’s defense forced back-to-back punts.

It was not a first half to write home about as the scoreless 30 minutes featured seven sacks, two by Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, and just 184 combined yards of offense.

“Yeah it’s frustrating,” Raiders wide receiver Jacobi Meyers said regarding the offense being shutout. “We’re not happy. We’re not going to come in here and celebrate because we got shutout. Everybody has got to look at themselves in the mirror, accept what they did wrong and try to correct it.”

All-pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson returned to action since he suffered a hamstring injury back in week 4. His day only last two drives with two catches for 27 yards. Jefferson jumped up in the air to snag his second reception when he hit by Nate Hobbs and suffered a chest injury. He did not finish the game and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Just when it looked like Las Vegas was going to break the deadlock on its first possession of the second half after a 38-yard reception to Hunter Renfroe that put the ball at the Vikings 11-yard line. Renfroe fumbled on a screen pass three plays later that was recovered by Mekhi Blackmon at the 16-yard line.

“It sucks, you know it sucks”, Crosby said regarding the Raiders best defensive performance of the season in a loss. “We do this sh*t all year, training all year. I put everything I had into this game. It’s super frustrating but at the end of the day, you gotta show up and get better. I know that’s what I’m going to do, and these guys will do the same thing.”

Nick Mullens replaced Dobbs at quarterback in the fourth quarter. Dobbs finished 10 of 23 for 63 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

The scoreboard finally changed with 1:57 remaining in the game when Greg Joesph kicked a 36-yard field goal for the game’s only points.

Ivan Pace Jr. sealed the game for the Vikings when he intercepted Aiden O’Connell at the Raiders 34-yard line with 1:52 left in the fourth quarter.

Mullens, who led the game winning drive, finished 9 of 13 for 83 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Alexander Mattison led all rushers with 66 yards on 10 carries. Tight end TJ Hockenson led the Vikings in receiving with five catches for 53 yards.

O’Connell was 21 of 32 for 171 yards with no touchdowns to go along with his interception. Josh Jacobs, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury finished with just 34 yards on 13 carries. Davante Adams, who did not meet with the media after the game, led the Raiders in receiving with seven catches for 53 yards.

GAME NOTES: Las Vegas finished 3-for-14 on third down conversions. Minnesota went 8-for-20.

UP NEXT: Las Vegas hosts the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football 12/14 at 5:15pm at Allegiant Stadium.

Barracuda sink Silver Knights in 6-1 blowout victory to snap losing streak

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Barracuda forward Danil Gushchin (#75) celebrates along the bench with his teammates Leon Gawanke’s (#26) goal against the Henderson Silver Knights at Tech CU Arena on Friday DEC 8, 2023. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Score early and score often was the theme of the night.

The San Jose Barracuda scored early in every period in a dominate 6-1 victory over the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday evening at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose snapped its two-game losing streak with it first win against the Silver Knights this season. Henderson has lost four games in a row/snapped its three-game losing streak.

San Jose (6-10-4-0) drew first blood early in the first period with an even strength goal. Nathan Todd found Radim Simek in between the faceoff circles and Simek beat Silver Knights goalie Jordan Papimy with wrist shot top shelf for his third goal of the season at 4:56 mark.

Henderson (10-10-1-2) answered late in the opening frame with an even strength goal. Mason Primeau led a counterattack up the ice. Primeau fed Daniel D’Amato in the neutral zone. D’Amato skated in and beat ‘Cuda goalie Eetu Makiniemi with a wrist shot to the far side for his first goal of the season at the 14:00 mark.

The ‘Cuda regained just before the end of the opening 20 minutes with a power play goal. Jacob Peterson sent a pass back up to the point to Leon Gawanke. The German defenseman lasered in a wrist shot past Papimy to the far side for his fourth goal of the season at the 18:36 mark.

San Jose went up 3-1 56 seconds into the second period. Peterson’s backhand attempt was saved by Papimy but Ethan Cardwell cleaned up the rebound into an empty net for his sixth goal of the season. Simek received the secondary assist.

The ‘Cuda’s penalty kill helped keep the Silver Knights off the board in the middle frame as they killed off three Henderson power play attempts.

“I like our (penalty) kill a lot,” said ‘Cuda head coach John McCarthy on his team being a perfect five-for-five. “I thought we took advantage of our chances. I thought the third period was our best period.”

San Jose opened the third period as it did the previous two, with an early goal to start the period. A shot from Cole Cassels from the left slot was cleaned up by Todd with a backhand shot around Papimy for his fourth goal of the season at the 1:41 mark.

Gushchin joined the goal party as the ‘Cuda’s fifth different goal scorer when he blasted a one-timer past Papimy after receiving a feed from Cassels. Gushchin’s fourth point of the game was his team leading seventh goal of the season at the 5:16 mark.

He’s (Gushchin) is a dynamic offensive player. So, it’s good to see him having success there,” McCarthy said.

The Barracuda kept their foot on the gas pedal. A turnover inside the Silver Knights zone led to a 2-on-0 odd man rush. Ozzie Weisblatt set up Brett Kemp’s one-timer for Kemp’s first goal of his AHL career at the 9:12 mark.

Makiniemi (2-2-0) finished the game stopping 26 of the 27 shots he faced to earn his second victory of the season. Papimy (1-4-1) made 23 saves on 29 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 1-for-2 on the power play. Henderson went 0-for-5.

Henderson forward Girgori Denisenko suffered an upper body injury when he took a puck up to the face on a clearing attempt by Simek early in the second period. He was able to finish the game.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) Gushchin 2) Todd 3) Simek.

UP NEXT: San Jose and Henderson conclude their two-games series on Saturday 12/9 at 6:00pm at Tech CU Arena.

City of San Jose and Earthquakes partner up for state of the art public soccer fields at County Fair Grounds location

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

One of the images from the latest renderings of the soon to be built soccer fields and training facilities for the San Jose Earthquakes at the Santa Clara Count Farigrounds. (San Jose Earthquakes).

by Marko Ukalovic

San Jose is looking to become a soccer town with its latest land deal with the local MLS soccer team.

During a press conference earlier this morning that featured local dignitaries and members of the San Jose Earthquakes, the City of San Jose announced in a partnership with the Quakes to develop four public, lighted state-of-the-art soccer fields on Santa Clara County’s Fairground property near Umbarger & Monterey Roads.

In total, Santa Clara County plans to lease 30 acres of its undeveloped Fairgrounds land to the Earthquakes. In addition to the public fields, the San Jose Earthquakes plan to lease approximately 14 of the 30 acres for the team’s new practice and training facility as well as four professional quality soccer fields.  

Santa Clara County supervisor Cindy Chavez helped orchestrate the deal between the city and the Quakes. She was one of the many speakers that included San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, San Jose Earthquakes president Jared Shawlee, Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez and homegrown 17-year-old player Edwyn Mendoza.

“The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds belongs to the public. This is a great way for our youth to have access to outstanding soccer fields year-round for generations to come,” said Chavez, who has worked on developing the SCC Fairgrounds property for many years and represents the area. “This is an historic achievement for our community and signifies the start of many more projects that will benefit our residents.”

In total, Santa Clara County plans to lease 30 acres of its undeveloped Fairgrounds property near Umbarger and Monterey Roads to the Earthquakes. In addition to the public soccer fields on 16 acres, the Quakes plan to lease approximately 14 acres for the club’s new practice and training facility, which includes four more professional quality soccer fields. In all, the project entails the construction of eight total fields.

“Thank you to Santa Clara County and the City of San Jose for partnering with the San Jose Earthquakes to build world-class fields for our community and a premier training facility for our club,” said Shawlee. “We believe that this public-private partnership can serve as a model for connecting pro athletes to their communities while also creating greater access to safe playing spaces for children.”

Mayor Mahan believes the community will benefit from having the new soccer fields available for youth soccer.

“We’re excited to begin working with the County and the San Jose Earthquakes to develop a state-of-the-art soccer facility on a portion of the underutilized land at the fairgrounds,” said Mahan. “Once completed, this site will not only serve the pros, but act as a regional destination for youth soccer teams and residents alike.”


The approximately 35,000-square-foot professional training and practice center will house the Earthquakes’ pro teams and all youth teams within the Earthquakes Academy. The club’s training building will consist of locker rooms, a weight room, dining hall, theatre, medical treatment facility, hydrotherapy equipment, laundry rooms, staff office space and more.  

Gonzelez, who has only been in San Jose for only a year with his family, said this project is very personal to him because he grew up playing on community fields and is a great way to produce local talent.

“I have worked all across the country, and as soccer continues to grow in America, I’ve witnessed firsthand how important it is that community fields are connected to their local professional clubs.” said Gonzalez. “This past season, we led the league with 13 homegrown academy graduates, which shows our commitment to local players, but also how much further impact a first-class facility will have on their development to reach their full potential.”

Mendoza, who signed a professional contract with the Earthquakes in May, believes this facility will give more kids the ability to play the game they love.

“I grew up in San Jose, so this facility will be a game-changer, not just for the Earthquakes players, but for kids from my community who get so much joy from playing the sport they love,” said Mendoza. “For them to have the opportunity to play on fields right next to the professionals they look up to will serve as a visual reminder that they can follow their dreams and make them a reality one day.”

In June 2021, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors authorized the County Administration to enter into negotiations with the San José Earthquakes regarding its Letter of Interest to lease acreage at the Fairgrounds, on which it would construct soccer fields and a two- or three-story field building.

Santa Clara County and the San Jose Earthquakes entered into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) on April 5, 2022, and amended on April 4, 2023, which provided the parties with a period of 18 months to discuss potential plans for a soccer facility at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.

The County of Santa Clara, the San Jose Earthquakes and the City of San Jose are coming together in a joint agreement to build a practice facility for the Earthquakes, shared public fields and all the necessary infrastructure needed for the facility.

The hope is to have the facility ready to open in 2026 just before the FIFA World Cup hits the United States and locally here at Levi’s Stadium.

49ers get their revenge in NFC Championship rematch in 42-19 win over Eagles

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel runs for one of his three touchdowns in his team’s 42-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday DEC 3, 2023. (San Francisco 49ers)

by Marko Ukalovic

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The San Francisco 49ers scored touchdowns on six straight possessions in a 42-19 blowout victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.

San Francisco has won four games in a row as they have their sights on the number one seed in the NFC. Philadelphia lost for just the second time this season.

It didn’t look like it was going to be a cakewalk by San Francisco (9-3) after the opening 15 minutes. The Eagles defense held the 49ers potent offense to -6 yards in total offense.

Philadelphia (10-2) had two red zone possessions in the first quarter but San Francisco’s stout defense bent but didn’t break as they held the Eagles to two Jake Elliot field goals, a 26 and 39 yarder.

Once the second quarter got underway, so did the 49ers offense. Quarterback Brock Purdy led an 11 play 85-yard drive that accumulated with a Brandon Aiuyk two-yard touchdown reception with 7:10 left in the second quarter.

The 49ers went up 14-6 with 38 second remaining in the first half. Christian McCaffery’s two-yard rushing touchdown, his 12th of the season, finished off a 10 play 90-yard drive.

San Francisco kept the momentum on its side as it scored its on third straight offensive drive to start the second half. Deebo Samuel started his big day with an end around for a 12-yard rushing touchdown, his fourth of the season.

Dre Greenlaw ejected from the game with 9:19 remaining in the third quarter after body slamming Davonta Smith to the ground after a 13-yard reception. Greenlaw made contact with the Eagles head of security, who was also ejected from the game.

Philadelphia made it a one score game when quarterback Jalen Hurts scored with a “tush push” from the one-yard line with 6:51 remaining in the third quarter. That would be as close as it would get for the home team.

San Francisco once again answered on its next drive. Purdy connected with Samuel on a short pass up the middle. Samuel broke a tackle and raced down the field for a 48-yard touchdown reception, with 43 of them after the catch, for his second touchdown of the game.

The 49ers put the game away when Jauan Jennings broke a tackle on an out route for an 18-yard touchdown reception for a 35-13 lead with 10:50 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Hurts left the game at the end of the third quarter for a concussion protocol. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota took over for four plays on the Eagles first drive in the fourth quarter. Hurts came back to throw a two-yard touchdown reception to Smith.

The 49ers put the finishing touch on their impressive victory when Samuel took a wide receiver screen and ran it 46 yards for his second receiving touchdown and third overall of the game. Samuel finished with four catches for 116 yards and chipped in 22 yards on the ground on three carries.

Purdy was 19 of 27 for 314 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He finished with a QB rating of 148.8. McCaffery led all rushers with 93 yards on 17 carries to go along with his touchdown. Tight end George Kittle contributed four catches for 68 yards.

Hurts went 26 of 45 for 298 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also led the Eagles in rushing with 20 yards on six carries. A.J Brown led Philadelphia in receiving with eight catches for 114 yards. Smith chipped in nine catches for 96 yards.

GAME NOTES: San Francisco finished 8-for-11 on third down conversion. Philadelphia was 8-for-15.

The 49ers improved to 22-14-1 all-time against the Eagles, including 12-6-1 on the road.  

San Francisco has won 4 of the previous 6 regular season matchups against Philadelphia.  

The Niners improved to 2-2 against the Eagles and 8-7 against the NFC East, including 3-0 in 2023 under head coach Kyle Shanahan.  

UP NEXT: San Francisco returns home for an NFC West battle with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday 12/10 at 1:05pm at Levi’s Stadium.

Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Will A’s dump Tropicana for a third ballpark site?; Will Fisher have financing troubles for stadium?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Foutainbleau location insiders say the A’s would consider the 27 acre site over the current ballpark site at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino. The site is close to Circus Circus and Stratosphere on the Las Vegas strip (photo by the Las Vegas Review Journal)

On the Oakland A’s relocation podcast:

#1 Daniel a lot of discussion this past week since the owner approved the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas where will A’s owner John Fisher get funding for the stadium his share is $1.1 billion. He’s checking out possibilities for a loan from Goldman Sachs and his family as the State of Nevada has approved $380 million in public money for they’re share of the Tropicana ballpark.

#2 If Fisher can’t get the funding outright it more than likely will kill the deal. Bally’s could kick in but at $ 1.5 billion that’s a tall ask and will they end up being the ones being on the hook. Major League Baseball owners could shore up but still that’s a pretty steep bail out for Fisher.

#3 Schools over Stadiums is viewed as a long shot to get some 102,000 signatures on a petition that would put a referendum on the Nov 2024 ballot that would stop the $380 million public funding of the A’s Tropicana ballpark.

#4 The A’s are possibly looking into a third location near the Fountainbleau on the North East end of the strip, it would be near the Stratosphere, and Circus Circus. This third location is 27 acres as opposed to the nine acres the A’s are working with now. With the bigger site will the cost to John Fisher run more than the $1.1 billion he’s looking at with the nine acre Tropicana?

#5 Schools over Stadiums are planning to redo the petition at the advice of the judge who turned the petition language down in the last hearing on Mon Nov 6th. Once they get their consultation done with their legal staff Schools over Stadium will present the petition language to an Nevada appeals court and move forward with getting the 102,000 signatures split up amongst four Nevada districts.

Daniel Dullum does the Oakland A’s relocation podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Roadrunners first period onslaught bury Barracuda 5-1

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Tucson Roadunners Nathan Smith skates into the San Jose Barracuda zone during his team’s 5-1 win at Tucson Convention Center Arena on Friday DEC 1, 2023. (Tucson Roadrunners)

by Marko Ukalovic

The Tucson Roadrunners scored four goals in the first period as they blew out the San Jose Barracuda 5-1 on Friday evening at Tucson Convention Center Arena.

San Jose has lost three out of its last four games and had its two-game winning streak on the road snapped. Tucson has won three out its last four games.

Tucson (11-6-1-1) drew first blood on a penalty shot in the second minute of the game. Ehtan Frisch crosschecked Josh Doan into the back of the net while Doan was on a breakaway. Referee Jim Curtin rewarded Tucson with a penalty shot Doan into the net backhand 1:34 mark.

Doan skated in and beat ‘Cuda goalie Magnus Chrona with a backhander shot top shelf for his team-leading eighth goal of the season.

Doan scored his second goal while the Roadrunners had the man advantage just past the midway point of the opening frame. Dylan Guenther found Doan along the left slot and the native of Scottsdale, Ariz. sniped home a one-timer past Chrona for his ninth goal of the season at the 11:02 mark.

Tucson scored its third unanswered goal of the period thanks to the ‘Cuda not being able to clear the puck out its own zone. Jan Jenik slipped a pass over to Zach Sanford who beat Chrona with a one-timer for his first goal in a Roadrunners sweater at the 17:29 mark.

Travis Baron made it 4-0 with 1:01 remaining in a nightmare first period for the ‘Cuda. Baron beat Chrona with a wrist shot on the short side for his second goal of the season after receiving a pass from Aku Raty.

San Jose (5-9-4-0) played on its heels during that opening 20 minutes as they only had a season low three shots on goal in a period as they were outshot 15-3.

The Roadrunners scored it second power play goal early in the second period. Victor Soderstrom blasted a slap-shot from the point that beat a screened Chrona for his third goal of the season at the 5:07 mark.

The ‘Cuda spoiled Roadrunners goalie Matthew Villalta’s shutout bid early in the third period with a power play goal. Nathan Todd sent a rink-wide pass down to Ethan Cardwell who skated past the Tucson defense to go in all alone on net before he deposited the puck past Villalta for his fifth goal of the season at the 4:04 mark.

Villalta (10-5-1) stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced to earn the victory. Chrona (1-5-2) made 30 saves on 35 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 1-for-4 on the power play. Tucson went 2-for-5.

Tucson snapped a five-game losing streak against San Jose.

‘Cuda forward Bradon Coe celebrated his 22nd birthday.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Doan 2) John Leonard 3) Villalta.

UP NEXT: San Jose and Tucson conclude their two-game series on Saturday 12/2 at 6:00pm at Tucson Convention Center Arena.

Power play clicks for Barracuda in 5-3 win over Firebirds

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Barracuda’s Thomas Bordeleau (#17) celebrates with his teammates one of the five goals against the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Acrisure Arena on Wednesday NOV 29, 2023. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

The San Jose Barracuda finally broke the desert curse.

The ‘Cuda scored three power play goals in route to a 5-3 victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Wednesday evening at Acrisure Arena. It was the first win for the ‘Cuda against the Firebirds in their history as Coachella Valley won all 10 games last season against them in its inaugural season.

San Jose snapped a two-game losing streak. Coachella Valley has lost two of its past three games.

Coachella Valley (9-7-0-0) drew first blood at the halfway mark of the first period on the man advantage. Devin Shore roofed a wrist shot 22 seconds into the power play past ‘Cuda goalie Eetu Makiniemi for his second goal of the season at the 13:39 mark.

San Jose (5-8-4-0) even the game with its first power play goal at the midway point of the second period. Leon Gawanke found Danil Gushchin near the left faceoff circle and Gushchin deposited a wrist shot to the far side past Firebirds goalie Chris Driedger for his team leading sixth goal of the season at the 10:15 mark.

The Barracuda gained the lead with 40 seconds left in the middle frame with a 5-on-3 power play goal. Thomas Bordeleau’s shot from the point was redirected by Nathan Todd through the five-hole of Driedger for his second goal of the season.

San Jose cashed in the second penalty, that had 53 seconds left on it, to begin the third period for its third straight power play goal. Cole Cassels found Gawanke at the point and the German defenseman blasted a one-timer past Driedger for his third goal of the season.

Gawanke finished the game with a three-point night, his first in a ‘Cuda uniform.

Scott Sabourin scored the ‘Cuda’s fourth unanswered goal just over five minutes later. Jacob Peterson fed Sabourin, and his shot pinballed off a Firebirds defender past Driedger for his second goal of the season at the 5:59 mark.

Logan Morrison scored an even strength goal for Coachella Valley at the 13:32 mark. Morrison’s fifth goal of the season cut the lead to 4-2.

The Firebirds made it a one-goal game late in the game with a power play goal. Cameron Hughes scored his third goal of the season at the 17:31 mark.

Peterson squashed any comeback attempt by Coachella Valley with an empty net goal with 39 seconds, his fourth goal of the season, remaining to seal the deal for San Jose.

Makiniemi (1-2-0) finished the game stopping 31 of the 34 shots he faced to earn his first win of the season. Driedger (6-5-0) made 30 saves on 34 shots in the losing effort. It was Driedger’s first loss against San Jose.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 3-for-5 on the power play. Coachella Valley went 2-for-5.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Todd 2) Gawanke 3) Peterson.

UP NEXT: San Jose continues its three-game road trip with a two-game series with the Tucson Roadrunners on Friday 12/1 at 6:00pm at Tucson Convention Center Arena.

Reign comeback from two-goal deficit to upend Barracuda 4-2

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Ontario Reign’s Kevin Connauton and San Jose Barracuda’s Nathan Todd battle in front of the net at Tech CU Arena on Saturday NOV 25, 2023. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The Ontario Reign erased a two-goal deficit with four unanswered goals to defeat the San Jose Barracuda 4-2 on Saturday afternoon at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose finished their seven-game homestand with back-to-back losses. Ontario have won four in a row and have points in eight consecutive games as they swept the two-game series.

San Jose (4-8-4-0) drew first blood early in the first period on its first shot in the game. Leon Gawanke fed Jacob Peterson in the Reign zone. Peterson skated into the middle where his shot deflected off of Wyatte Wylie’s leg past Reign goalie Erik Portillo for his third goal of the season at the 2:37 mark.

Peterson’s second goal in three games snapped a 188:54 shutout streak by Ontario.

The Barracuda doubled its lead with an even strength goal just under six minutes later. A shot from the point by Bradely Marek was initially saved by Portillo he never secured the puck as it laid loose near the crease. Danil Gushchin who cleaned up the rebound for his fifth goal of the season, his first since being reassigned to the ‘Cuda, at the 8:09 mark.

Ontario (11-4-1-1) were shellshocked by the ‘Cuda’s quick start and did not play with a disciplined manor as they took two penalties late in the opening frame.

The Reign cut the deficit in half early in the second period fresh off a penalty kill. A shot from the point by T.J. Tynan was picked up at the crease by Samuel Fagemo who deposited a wraparound past ‘Cuda goalie Magnus Chrona for his seventh goal of the season at the 1:48 mark.

Fagemo scored the equalizer, his second goal of the game, late in the middle frame while the teams were playing 4-on-4. Fagemo cruised by the net after taking a pass from Tynan. His initial shot was stopped by Chrona but Fagemo’s rebound attempt caromed off of Chrona into the back of the net for Fagemo’s team leading eighth goal of the season at the 18:08 mark.

Fagemo has caught fire for Ontario with three multiple goals games in his last four contests.

Ontario went ahead seconds after killing off a penalty to start the third period. A giveaway inside the Reign zone by the ‘Cuda led to an odd man rush counterattack. Andre Lee found Akil Thomas with a rink wide pass and he buried a one-timer past Chrona for his third goal of the season at the 1:37 mark.

Brandt Clarke concluded the scoring with an empty net goal, his fifth of the season with 28 seconds remaining in the game to ice the game for Ontario.

Portillo (5-1-0) finished the game stopping 40 of the 42 shots the ‘Cuda peppered him with to earn the win. Chrona (1-4-2) made 27 saves on 30 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 0-for-5 on the power play. Ontario was 0-for-3.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) Fagemo 2) Gawanke 3) Tynan.

UP NEXT: San Jose finished the month of November when they take on the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Wednesday 11/29 at 7:00pm at Acrisure Arena.

UNI routs Cardinal 73-53 for 7th in Battle 4 Atlantis

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Stanford Cardinal James Keefe (right) blocks the shot of the Northern Iowa Panthers Cole Henry (left) at the Battle 4 Atlantis Men’s Tournament at Paradise Island, The Bahamas (Tim Aylen Bahamas Visual Services via AP)

By Daniel Dullum

Friday, November 24, 2023

Stanford fell short in its attempt to salvage its third game of the Battle 4 Atlantis men’s basketball tournament, as Northern Iowa handily defeated the Cardinal 73-53 in the seventh-place game at Paradise Island, The Bahamas.

With the victory, Panthers coach Ben Jacobson picked up his 337th career win, tying him with former Creighton and Saint Louis coach Eddie Hickey for second on the Missouri Valley Conference’s (MVC) all-time wins list.

Northern Iowa’s offense tied season-highs in both field goal attempts and made shots as it dominated Stanford off the glass, holding the Cardinal under 40 percent shooting to snap a three-game skid.

Northern Iowa (2-4) jumped out to an early lead despite Stanford’s first eight points coming from Maxime Raynaud. The Panthers used a 19-4 run to take control of the game, leading at the break 49-27.

The Panthers maintained a healthy double-digit lead the remainder of the night, never letting the Cardinal pull within less than 19 points in the final 20 minutes of play. Stanford (3-4) held the Panthers to just 24 points in the second half on 32.1 percent shooting and 14.3 percent from beyond the arc, but the Carinal deficit was too large to overcome.

UNI’s defense continued to apply pressure on Stanford, which shot 32.1 percent in the second half and finished with a 36.5 shooting percentage on the night. The Panthers outrebounded the Cardinal 41-33, 9-4 in offensive rebounds, finishing the night with a bang to secure the 22-point victory.

Raynaud led the Cardinal with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Michael Jones scored nine points; Brandon Angel and James Keefe had eight apiece.

Nate Heise finished the night with a game-high 15 points on 5 of 10 shooting, while Jacob Hutson tallied a 12-point, four-rebound performance. Bowen Born recorded 11 points with a pair of assists, Tyton Anderson scoring ten points while grabbing a game-high eight rebounds, and both Trey Campbell and Kyle Pock finishing with six points each.

The Stanford offense came into the game averaging nearly 84 points per game, but struggled from the field in shooting 36.5 percent from the floor and 19.2 percent from 3-point range.

The Cardinal return home to Maples Pavilion to face San Diego on Sunday, Dec. 3. Tipoff is 4 p.m.

Reign rule over Barracuda in 3-0 shutout win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Ontario Reign bench celebrates one of the three goals they scored against the San Jose Barracuda at Tech CU Arena on Friday NOV 24, 2023. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The Ontario Reign might want to change their name to the blanks or zeroes.

The Reign took down the San Jose Barracuda in a 3-0 shutout victory on Friday evening at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose has lost three of its past five games. Ontario has won three games in a row, with three consecutive shutouts, and have points in seven straight games.

Ontario (10-4-1-1) drew first blood on the power play past the halfway mark of the first period. Alex Turcotte made touch pass back to Akil Thomas up near the point. Thomas sent a rink wide pass over to Samuel Fagemo who buried a one-timer past ‘Cuda goalie Eetu Makiniemi for his sixth goal of the season at the 11:50 mark.

San Jose (4-7-4-0) were busy on the penalty kill during the opening frame as they weren’t able to establish their forecheck with only generating four shots on goal.

The Barracuda dominated the second period as they outshot the Reign 15-8. Despite having Ontario on their heels for the majority of the period, San Jose had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard as Reign goalie David Rittich kept the puck from going in during the middle frame.

“We knew they were a stingy team defensively,” said ‘Cuda head coach John McCarthy regarding his team being shutout. “We knew were going to have to work for our (scoring) chances. I think we did have some chances on par with what that team gives up.”

Ontario doubled its lead 24 seconds into the third period. A shot from the right side by Brandt Clarke was redirected by Turcotte for his fourth goal of the season. Taylor Ward picked up the secondary assist.

San Jose was behind the eight ball when Ontario had a full two-minute 5-on-3 power play advantage when Thomas Bordeleau and Jacob Peterson both went off for high sticking at the 6:59 mark. However, Makiniemi and the penalty kill kept the deficit from growing any larger.

“Our (penalty) kill has been good the last stretch here. Everybody bought in. I thought we had some big blocks on that (5-on-3), kinda got the bench into it,” McCarthy said.

TJ Tynan, who leads the AHL in assists with 15, scored an empty netter with 1:32 remaining in the game for his second goal of the season to ice the game for Ontario.

Rittich (6-3-2) stopped all 32 shots he faced to earn his third shutout of the season. Makiniemi (0-2-0) made 20 saves on 22 shots in the losing effort after making his first since being called up from Wichita.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 0-for-2 on the power play. Ontario was 1-for-5.

Ontario has outscored their last three opponents 13-0.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Turcotte 2) Rittich 3) Fagemo.

UP NEXT: San Jose and Ontario conclude their two-games series on Saturday 11/25 at 2:00pm at Tech CU Arena.