Abbotsford’s second period fight drives the 5-2 win against the San Jose Barracuda

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Barracuda vs Abbotsford Canucks on Wednesday October 28th at Tech CU Arena (via sjbarracuda/flickr)

By Madison Montez

SAN JOSE–The Abbotsford Canucks rallied with two goals that fired up the Canucks that help seal their win over the San Jose Barracuda in a 5-2 win at Tech CU in San Jose.

Abbotsford opened up the scoring when Riley Patterson scored his third goal of the season. Anri Ravinskis recorded the primary assist while Kirill Kudryavtsev recorded the secondary assist. They then extended that lead to 2-0 when Ben Berard scored his first goal of the season. Ty Mueller recorded the primary assist and Sawyer Mynio recorded the secondary assist. San Jose cut the lead in half when Patrick Giles scored his first goal of the season, while being shorthanded.

Picking up his own rebound, Alex Barre-Boulet scored his first of the season, a powerplay goal, to tie the game at 2-2 in the second period. Jimmy Huntington recorded the lone assist. Regaining their initial lead, Abbotsford scored to make it a 3-2 game. Jacob Quillan scored his fifth of the season, Riley Patterson with the primary assist and Gavin White with the secondary assist.

Finding a pocket in the net, Abbotsford’s Captain Chase Wouters scored his first of the season to extend their lead to 4-2. Former Barracuda Defenseman Cole Clayton recorded the only assist.

Securing the win with the empty-netter, Ben Berard scored his second goal of the game to make it 5-2.

After the first period, San Jose outshot Abbotsford 11-9. After the second period, Abbotsford outshot San Jose 13 to 4. After the third period, San Jose outshot Abbotsford 10-4.

Both Abbotsford and San Jose showed both sides of their special teams Wednesday night. For San Jose, they were able to capitalize both shorthanded and having the advantage, scoring both a powerplay and shorthanded goal. On the powerplay, San Jose went 1/2. For Abbotsford, they were not able to capitalize on either slate, going 0/3.

For San Jose, Ilya Samsonov was given his second start of the season. Coming off of a win, his first in a Barracuda sweater, he was looking to get his second. Making 21 saves on 25 shots, Samsonov recorded Wednesday night’s loss. For Abbotsford, Ty Young was the starting goaltender. Also coming off of a win, he was looking to get his second of the season. Making 24 saves on 26 shots, Young recorded Wednesday night’s win.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

  1. Jacob Quillan
  2. Riley Patterson
  3. Alex Barre-Boulet

The Barracuda will be back in action on Sunday November 1st where they will be hosting the Bakersfield Condors at Tech CU Arena for a 3pm start time.

Sharks shut out by Sabres, 2-0; fifth loss in eight games

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) defends a shot by the Buffalo Sabres left wing Beck Malenstyn (29) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/ Jeff Chiu)

By Ryan Hannagan

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Sharks (6-6-1) took a 2-0 shutout loss to the Buffalo Sabres (5-4-3) for the first of four consecutive home games on Tuesday night.

Coming off a road trip that spanned six games through nine days, the Sharks returned home looking for a win. San Jose went 3-2-1 on the road trip.

The story of the Sharks lineup prior to puck drop was the news of Will Smith departing from Macklin Celebrini’s line. The duo had spent the entirety of the young season put on a line together, which changed after head coach Ryan Warsofsky adjusted the lines prior to Tuesday’s game. Smith was paired with Michael Misa at center and Mason Marchment at left wing.

The Sharks started with the Goodrow-Ostapchuk-Gaudette line. Backing them up on the blue line was the pair of Orlov and Cagnoni. Yaroslav Askarov started in net.

On the opposing side, the Sabres came into Tuesday’s matchup having dropped their last three. The Sabres are coming off a season in which they made their first postseason appearance in 15 seasons. Their 4-4-1 record is not what head coach Lindy Ruff and the Sabres had in mind through the end of October. They came in with a lot to prove. At the same time, the Sabres recently have seen success in San Jose. Their last four trips to SAP have had them coming out as the winning team.

Ruff went with the starting lineup of Peyton Krebs, Beck Malenstyn and Tyson Kozak on offense. On defense he turned to Olen Zellweger and Owen Power. In net, Colten Ellis.

The first period featured chances at both ends, but neither team scored. Buffalo outshot San Jose 16-12,
both goaltenders remained perfect. Two power plays for San Jose, one for Buffalo.

Most fans were still returning to their seats when Sabres’ defenseman Olen Zellweger scored the game’s opening goal. A low blocker-side shot beat Askarov. No other offense came to be in the middle frame. Two power plays, one apiece, both killed off.

After 40 scoreless minutes, the Sharks entered the third period looking for a goal.

In the third, the Sharks’ passes weren’t connecting and their shots were being blocked, a trend that had been continuous throughout regulation. San Jose registered seven shots in the final frame, none finding the back of the net. In an attempt to get the tying goal, Warsofsky pulled Askarov with just under two minutes remaining in regulation. No chances came with the extra man for San Jose. Sabres’ defenseman Zack Benson stole the puck off the stick of Sharks’ rookie Ivar Stenberg in the Sabres’ offensive zone, leaving himself all alone with the empty net to seal the game with the Sabres’ second goal.

Following the outcome, one thing was apparent: this matchup was a battle of goaltending. Both goalies played strong.

Yaroslav Askarov came into Tuesday’s game sporting a .883 SV% and a 3.44 GAA following a shaky start to the 2026-27 campaign. Following the conclusion of the game, Askarov ended up being the Sharks’ most valuable player despite earning the loss in net. He stopped 38 of 39 shots, and made several saves off high-danger scoring chances. After his performance, he was able to raise his save percentage to .898 and was able to lower his GAA to 3.13. Askarov had a 2.36 GSAX (Goals Saved Above Expected). One of his strongest performances in the young season.

On the other end of the ice, Sabres’ netminder Colten Ellis stood perfect through 60. Ellis stopped all 24 of the Sharks shots for his first shutout of the season and the second of his career. Ellis has a small sample size in the NHL, having only 20 games played, yet has come to prove himself as a reliable backup for Lindy Ruff and staff to turn to.

The Sabres have now won their last five games at SAP Center.

The Sharks face the Vancouver Canucks for their next game, 7 p.m. Thursday night.

Utah Mammoth game wrap: Minnesota knocks out Mammoth 3-1 in wild fight night at Delta Center

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jasper Wallstedt (30) makes a behind the back save shot from the Utah Mammoth center Barrett Hayton (27) in the second period at the Delta Center on Tue Oct 27, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

October 27, 2026

SALT LAKE CITY– The Utah Mammoth delivers punches against Minnesota Wild in literal slugfest, but Minnesota wins the scoresheet 3-1 to increase Central Division lead.

The Mammoth (8-4-0) hosted the Wild (8-3-2) on Tuesday night with the Central Division lead on the line.  Making his first appearance of the season for Utah was forward Liam O’Brien who recorded three goals and an assist in 38 regular season games last season. 

Returning to Delta Center for the first time since being part of the trade which brought MacKenzie Weegar to the Mammoth from the Flames was defenseman Olli Määttä.  During his time in Utah, Määttä recorded 19 points (2g, 17a) in 92 games.

The first period offered no scoring but plenty of punch. O’Brien marked his return to the ice exchanging blows with Wild forward Michael McCarron. The fight was O’Brien’s tenth with Utah, second only to Jack McBain’s 17.  It was the second time O’Brien has tangoed with McCarron, the first coming back on March 9, 2023, when the then-Arizona Coyotes played in Nashville. 

Less than 90 seconds into their reciprocal five minute major penalties, Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev dropped his gloves for the first time in Utah with Minnesota forward Matt Boldy as his dance partner. Sergachev’s last fight took place over three years ago while he was with Tampa Bay as he battled Max Jones of the Anaheim Ducks.

With a combined six penalties in the opening period, what did the two teams do for an encore in the second?  Eleven.  Unfortunately for the home team, seven of those eleven came at their expense, castrating their offense and incapacitating their ability to roll four lines at any point in the entire frame.

The constant merry-go-round to the penalty box notwithstanding, Utah surrendered just one goal in the period when Joel Ericksson Ek scored his fourth of the season on the power play, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Kirill Kaprizov. Vincent Trocheck’s fight with Danila Yurov at 18:15 of the period marked the first time that Utah has been involved in three fights in a single game, and their eight fights overall on the season lead the NHL. Trocheck’s last fight was two seasons ago while with the Rangers against New Jersey’s Paul Cotter.

Having accumulated a combined 17 penalties in the first two periods, naturally the final period was completely penalty free.  With Utah captain Clayton Keller still riding the bench in the sin bin for an additional “abuse of officials” penalty late in the second period, Minnesota came through again on the power play 48 seconds into the third as Kiprizov put a wrist shot past Karel Vejmelka for his 14th goal of the season, assisted by Boldy and Hughes, to increase the Wild lead 2-0. 

At 11:44 of the period, Maxim Shabanov knocked in a loose puck in front of the Mammoth net for his fourth of the season, unassisted, to put Minnesota up 3-0.  In the final minutes of the game, Utah pulled Vejmelka for an extra attacker if for no other reason than to practice six on five situations, having only been successful once in franchise history when Clayton Keller scored against Philadelphia last January.

With 81 ticks left on the clock, Logan Cooley banged in a rebound of a shot by Nick Schmaltz with banked off the far goal post and slid across to the opposite side where it found Cooley’s stick. Mikhail Sergachev picked up the additional assist on Cooley’s fourth goal of the year, breaking up Jesper Wallstedt’s shutout as the horn sounded with a 3-1 final score. Having managed only five and four shots respectively in the first two periods, Utah put 18 shots on goal in the third to no avail.

Clayton Keller was dispatched as the first to face the media following the loss. “I think we gotta be hungrier in their zone,” the captain began.. “We got to win more battles. We’ve got to have good dumps and good pucks. Our forecheck is good so I think that is something that we focus on. But I think we can be better being more connected, coming up the ice together, and supporting our line mates. I feel like at times we’re a little disconnected, they squeeze us off and we’re one and done. It’s tough to create like that.” Asked if it was fun to play in such a spirited contest, Keller responded, “Yeah for sure, lots of emotion. A lot of guys stepped up today with the fights and blocked shots, things like that. So for sure, those are the fun ones.”

“Overall, we need to do a better job of getting our shots through,” lone goal-scorer Logan Cooley said. “Props to them; they blocked a ton of shots on the PK and five-on-five. I mean, their goalie played unbelievable too. When he’s playing that good, you’ve got to get in front of his eyes and get shots through, and that’s what we didn’t do tonight.” With the two teams atop the Central Division, do these teams have the makings of a new rivalry? “Yeah, if you look at the standings, we’re right there neck and neck, and in our division, tough team to play against, and they’re always in the playoffs,” Cooley said. “For us, I think it’s a good measuring stick to compare against them. As I said, they’re always in the playoffs; they’ve got unbelievable players, always in the top of the league. So anytime we play them, we’re definitely up for it.”

In his opening statement, head coach André Tourigny began, “I think the big story, for me, is the number of penalties we got. First of all; you get in the box seven times against that kind of a power play, you’re going to get hurt. It’s (also) the momentum we lost in our rotation. From the end of the first period until the third period, we did not have one time where we could go with our four lines one after the other. That was a lot of guys that could not get into their rhythm, couldn’t get our physicality, our pace, our forecheck going. We played better in the third period where we had an opportunity to get going and having some rhythm. We need to learn (with our) discipline as well. I think (Karel Vejmelka) played really good. I’m happy he’s back on track. That’s what I think.” On balancing the emotions of the game, Bear added, “I think it was alright. It was tough to stay even keel. But I think we stayed focused for long parts. It’s a lot of adversity when you get that many penalties; [it’s tough] to stay in the game. (Barrett Hayton’s) line has been really good; at some point they could not play. They’d been sitting out there for a long time. Other guys would play only PK for most of the second period. They didn’t play much 5-on-5; maybe one or two shifts. It’s tough when you don’t have the opportunity to get into the rhythm of the game. That’s self-inflicted. I’m not deflecting. We take responsibility on that and we need to learn from it.” On the performance of Vejmelka, Tourigny commented, “He gave us a chance for a long time. I think they beat him on really, really good plays. Our PK was solid. You’ll tell me we gave up two goals; (Minnesota) had to take a perfect shot to score their first goal. The second goal, we blew a tire. That’s the kind of thing that’s unfortunate, but was not a structure thing. It’s just really unfortunate because we were right there and one shot away.”

Utah (8-5-0) now embarks upon their longest road trip on the schedule, with six games in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and Las Vegas before returning to Delta Center on November 12 to face the St. Louis Blues.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB State of the Game

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Major League Players Association executive director Bruce Meyer answers questions from the media before game 1 of the 2026 World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers vs.Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg on Mon Oct 26, 2026 (AP News photo)

MLB State of the Game

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Commissioner Rob Manfred told the MLB Network show today from Tropicana Field in Tampa, prior to Game 4 of the 2026 World Series, that MLB fell slightly short of its overall attendance projection for the 2026 season. The projection was 74 million, and the actual total of 71 to 75 million represents growth rather than decline.

13 teams saw attendance increases, while 17 experienced declines. The Los Angeles Dodgers led the majors in attendance for the 14th straight year with 4,034,219 total, while the Athletics were last with 799,240 while playing in Sacramento.

The bigger Gains and Drops: The Tampa Bay Rays had the largest-year-over year surge adding over 628,000 fans following theior return to Tropicana Field. The New York Mets suffered the largest drop, down 472,450 fans.

MLPA and Owners’ negotiations are totally stalled, and most in the sport now believe a prolonged lockout is inevitable. The issue is the owners’ proposed salary cap: a $245.3 million spending ceiling, a $171.2 million floor, and a 50-50 revenue split. The MLPA said THE SALARY CAP IS A RED LINE. In other words, they will not negotiate that.

My take: There is a lot of money to be made here, and I hope cooler heads prevail on both sides; however, I tend to favor the players’ side on this issue, and I believe players should not “surrender” to the owners. I remember the 1981 season player strike well as a broadcaster for the Oakland A’s; it lasted over 700 total games, more than one-third of the season.

Divided into two parts, the postseason took us to Kansas City, where we eliminated the Royals; then we lost to the New York Yankees, and our season ended. Strikes, Lockouts- whatever stops the game for a prolonged period of time is not good for the game.

Let’s hope for the best; that is all we can do, and that baseball returns in 2027, starting with Spring Training.

Quote: “The fans are the ones who suffer, but they are also the ones who keep us alive. We have to remember that baseball belongs to the people, not just the boardrooms.” — Cal Ripken Jr.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Spurs Champagnie Eight Threes, One Long Night for the Kings in 130-103 loss

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) goes to the basket against Sacramento Kings Center Domantas Sabonis (left) in the first half at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Tue Oct 27, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings game wrap:

By Mauricio Segura

For a few minutes, the Kings were playing like you would expect a winning team to do so. Domantas Sabonis scored inside, De’Andre Hunter supplied perimeter offense, and Darius Acuff Jr. briefly put the Kings ahead. Then Julian Champagnie began making the three-point line look like his personal property, and the Spurs turned a competitive opening into a 130-103 victory.

Champagnie buried eight three-pointers and scored 26 points, including six triples in a devastating second quarter. Victor Wembanyama contributed 29 points, ten rebounds, five blocks and two steals, giving the Spurs control both around the basket and on the scoreboard. The outcome was effectively settled by halftime, when the Kings trailed 80-54.

The Spurs wasted no time establishing their preferred offensive connection. De’Aaron Fox found Wembanyama for an alley-oop dunk just 12 seconds after the opening tip. Stephon Castle delivered another lob less than two minutes later, and Devin Vassell connected with Wembanyama for a third alley-oop midway through the period. The Kings also discovered early that shooting over the towering center was no easier than defending him: Wembanyama blocked attempts by Sabonis and Acuff in the opening quarter.

Still, the Kings pushed back. Sabonis scored eight first-quarter points, Hunter added eight, and Acuff’s 25-foot pull-up three gave the Kings a 23-22 advantage with 4:15 remaining. Precious Achiuwa later tied the score at 25, but the Spurs closed the period on a 14-4 run. Wembanyama finished the quarter with 15 points, and the Spurs held a 39-29 advantage.

The second quarter belonged to Champagnie. He made a three-pointer with 10:55 remaining, another at 8:48, and four more, the last at 4:23. The Kings could not keep pace with that accuracy, particularly when their own possessions ended with missed shots or turnovers. Champagnie’s eighth three of the half stretched the margin to 68-43. He had 24 points at the break, all from beyond the arc.

The Spurs outscored the Kings 41-25 in that quarter. Dylan Harper converted a steal into a three-point play that made it 60-38, while Wembanyama closed the half with a putback just before the buzzer. Through two quarters, the Spurs had 80 points, Wembanyama had 23, and the Kings had a 26-point problem that could not be attributed to any single defensive lapse.

The Kings showed more resistance after intermission, but their scoring never translated into sustained pressure on the lead. Zach LaVine opened the third quarter with a three-pointer, Hunter answered Spurs baskets with shots of his own, and Acuff continued attacking inside. Yet Castle struck twice from three-point range early in the period, and Wembanyama added two dunks as the Spurs maintained their advantage. Vassell’s three with 7:15 left increased the difference to 28 points at 97-69.

The Kings received substantial production from four players. Hunter finished with 24 points and five three-pointers, LaVine scored 22, and Sabonis recorded 20 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Acuff added 19 points and five assists. Those figures would usually suggest a more competitive contest, but the Kings never recovered from the first-half separation.

The Spurs also received 15 points from Castle, 14 apiece from Vassell and Keldon Johnson, and 13 from Harper. Vassell contributed eight assists, while Harper added six. Champagnie scored only two points after halftime, but he had already done more than enough damage. With the score 107-80 after three quarters, both teams produced 23 points in the fourth, leaving the earlier deficit intact.

Ultimately, the Spurs did not need a dramatic finish. They had combined Wembanyama’s interior dominance with an extraordinary display of outside shooting, forcing the Kings to deal with two problems at once. The Kings found offense in several places. They never found a way to slow both.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Las Vegas Raiders podcast Tony Renteria: Can Jeanty find his legs against Jets Sunday in East Rutherford; Vegas looking to end four game skid

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) goes airborne after gettng tripped up by the Los Angeles Rams cornerback Josh Wallace (30) in the second half at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sun Oct 25, 2026 (AP News photo)

Las Vegas Raiders podcast Tony Renteria:

1. Can Ashton Jeanty establish the Raiders’ ground game? Will the running back find room against the Jets’ defense and help Las Vegas control the tempo and keep the offense ahead of the chains?

2. Can Kirk Cousins connect with Brock Bowers for big plays? Will the Raiders’ quarterback-tight end combination exploit coverage mismatches and generate explosive gains against New York’s secondary?

3. Will Maxx Crosby pressure Geno Smith? Can the Raiders’ star defensive end disrupt the Jets’ quarterback, force hurried throws and create game-changing plays?

4. Can Tre Tucker stretch the Jets’ secondary? Will the Raiders’ wide receiver make an impact with his speed, deep routes and ability to turn short completions into substantial gains?

5. Will the Raiders’ defense contain Garrett Wilson? Can Las Vegas limit the Jets’ standout wide receiver and prevent him from becoming a reliable target in critical third-down and red-zone situations?

Join Tony Renteria for the Las Vegas Raiders podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Brewers can sweep and take it all Tuesday night in game 4 in Tampa Bay

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Milwaukee Brewers Garrett Mitchell (5) celebrates scoring past Tampa Bay Rays catcher Nick Fortes (right) in the top of the fifth inning during game 3 of the World Series at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg on Mon Oct 26, 2026 (AP

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

  1. Can Milwaukee deliver the decisive blow on the road? How will the Brewers handle the pressure of a potential championship-clinching game in Tampa Bay, especially if the crowd gets behind the Rays early?

2. Which starting pitcher will seize control? Will Milwaukee’s starter set the tone with early strikeouts, or can Tampa Bay’s starter keep the Brewers’ offense off balance and force a low-scoring contest?

3. Can the Rays’ offense rise to the occasion? Which Tampa Bay hitters will step up in the biggest game of the season, and can they capitalize on scoring opportunities with runners in scoring position?

4. Will Milwaukee’s pitching and bullpen continue to dominate? After a 10–1 victory in Game 3, the Brewers have taken a 3–0 series lead. Can their pitching staff finish the job, or will Tampa Bay finally find a way to break through?

5. Can Tampa Bay make history with a comeback? Facing elimination, can the Rays rally behind stars such as Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz, or will Milwaukee secure its first World Series championship in franchise history?

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.

Valkyries Win Game 5 of the WNBA Finals over Atlanta, 64-55, & one Win away from WNBA Championship

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) blocks a shot against Atlanta Dream’s Naz Hillmon (00) in the second quarter for Game 5 of the WNBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. (Photo credits to Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

By Michael Villanueva

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries returned to Ballhalla after beating the Atlanta Dream in game 4 of the WNBA Finals. With the series tied 2-2, Atlanta and Golden State met in game 5, each trying to take the series lead. However, the Valkyries would beat the Dream, 64-55, and Golden State is now just one win away from the franchise’s first-ever WNBA Championship in the team’s second year in the WNBA.

Atlanta Dream headed back to the Bay to face off against the Valkyries after losing game 4 at home. The Valkyries were able to get a win on the road and tied the series at 2-2. The Valkyries beat Dream, 67-62 in game 4 on Saturday, October 24th. Rhyne Howard led the team with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist. Even though the team lost, head coach Karl Smesko didn’t change his starters, so he sent out Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon, and Angel Reese to start game 5.

Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase didn’t change Golden State starters. Coach Nakase sent Kaila Charles, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes, Gabby Williams, and Veronica Burton to start game 5. Williams led the team in their Game 4 win with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Also, Valkyries Kiah Stokes made history in the WNBA Finals, with 16 rebounds and 3 blocks in the last game. She set the record for the most blocks in the finals.

Golden State’s Kiah Stokes got the game going with the first basket of the evening, with a made layup. Then Veronica Burton would keep the scoring going with another bucket in the paint. These first two buckets got the crowd and Ballhalla rocking early. The first quarter after this was all defense. Both teams were making it hard for each other to score. Both teams wouldn’t be able to get a three-pointer to go in until almost the last two minutes of the quarter.

Valkyries’ Kayla Thornton would make the team’s first three-pointer with two minutes left in the first quarter, after getting a hard foul from Angel Reese. Reese was trying to create space in the paint, and elbowed Thornton in the face. So, Thornton’s three-pointer would give the Valkyries the lead, but Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard would end the first quarter with a made three-pointer, Atlanta’s first three-pointer of the night. At the end of the first quarter, Atlanta leads Golden State, 14-13.

Going into the second quarter, it was both of the team’s lowest-scoring performances. Golden State would only drop 12 points, while Atlanta would only drop 8 points in the second quarter. However, at the start, Valkyries Veronica Burton would score the team’s first 5 points by herself. She would be the start of the team’s 9-2 scoring run, and the team went 4-of-5 on their first five shot attempts. After that, the Valkyries would miss nine shots in a row in a span of five minutes.

Both teams were struggling on their offense and shooting in the first half. However, the low-scoring performances from the teams were mainly due to both teams’ defense. These two teams were ranked the top two defensive teams in the WNBA. At halftime, Golden State would have the lead over Atlanta, 25-22. Burton would lead the Valkyries so far with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.

The third quarter was the takeover and spark the Valkyries needed, especially playing back at home after playing the last two games of the series in Atlanta. Golden State would explode for 21 points alone in the 3rd quarter. In the first two minutes of the 3rd quarter, the Valkyries would go on a quick 7-0 scoring run, and this was the start of the Valkyries taking game 5 from Dream.

Halfway through the 3rd quarter, Atlanta would get the closest to tying the game with Golden State by being down by 3 points, 34-31. However, Kiah Stokes would take over and put up two blocks by herself in the 3rd quarter, and also drop 8 points alone. Her efforts and, at the buzzer to end the 3rd, Burton would be able to get a floater to go in before the buzzer and make the score 46-40. Golden State made sure that Atlanta would feel their defensive pressure in game 4, as the Valkyries would have 8 blocks as a team before the final quarter.

Going into the final ten minutes of the game, Golden State’s shooting would see a slight increase, but just enough to take over and start to hold a commanding lead over Atlanta. The Valkyries’ defense would hold the Dream’s shooting to 14-of-51 (27%). Although Atlanta wasn’t gonna just give up, especially with the series being the championship. Dream’s Jordin Canada would immediately score at the start and cut Valkyrie’s lead to four points, 46-42.

Right after Canada’s made basket, on Atlanta’s next offensive possession, Valkyrie’s Burton would get a block on Allisha Gray and set up Gabby Williams for a driving layup and get fouled. Williams would get a 3-point play and extend Golden State’s lead, 49-42. Then, Kiah Stokes wasn’t done for the night as she made her third three-pointer of the night and gave the Valkyries their largest lead of the night, 52-42.

At the halfway mark of the final quarter, Valkyries Cecilia Zandalasini would make a turnaround jump shot and push the lead to 12 points, 56-44. Then, in the final two minutes, Golden State was starting to enter victory formations while Atlanta’s dreams of winning game 5 were becoming just a dream. The score would be 60-46, Valkyries holding the lead. Then, in a final act of desperation, Atlanta would be able to make two back-to-back three-pointers in the last minute, 62-52.

However, the Valkyries’ lead was too big for Atlanta, and the clock was not on their side. Golden State would get the win in game 5 of the WNBA Finals. The Valkyries are now leading the series, 3-2, with the final score being 64-55. Kiah Stokes now has six straight games with 3+ blocks, tied with Lisa Leslie (2003) for the longest streak in a single postseason in WNBA playoff history. Also, Veronica Burton led the team with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks. Burton’s four blocks tie Diana Taurasi (2009) as the most blocks by a guard in a WNBA Finals game. This was also her career high in blocks

With one more win for the Valkyries on becoming the 2026 WNBA Champions, they’ll head on the road for game 6 with possibilities of ending it in Atlanta. The Atlanta Dream are now playing the rest of the championship series with a “do-or-die” mentality. Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will be on Thursday, October 29th, at 9:30 a.m., and will be broadcast live on Peacock and USA Network.

San Jose Barracuda podcast Madison Montez: Cuda gets skulled by Gulls; Abbottsford is in next for San Jose Wed night

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

It’s a scramble for the anticipated puck San Jose Barracuda goaltender Eric Comrie (left), defenseman Eric Puhlkamp (48), San Diego Gulls forwards Anton Wahlberg (25) and forward Jame Hamblin (11) (photo by the San Diego Gulls media relations)

San Jose Barracuda podcast Madison Montez:

1. Filip Bystedt: How important was Filip Bystedt in creating scoring chances for the Barracuda against the Gulls?

2. Jimmy Huntington: As the Barracuda captain, did Jimmy Huntington’s leadership help San Jose maintain its momentum?

3.Andre Gasseau entered the game as San Jose’s leading goal scorer with five goals. How did he do against San Diego?

4. Ethan Cardwell had been a key playmaker for San Jose. Did he find a way to set up goals and score against the Gulls?

5. After scoring the overtime winner against San Diego earlier in October, did Roland McKeown make another big impact on his return to Pechanga Arena?

Madison Montez filled in for Marko Ukalovic for the San Jose Barracuda podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears podcast Barbara Mason: What Sagapolutele needs to do differently to get Bears back in it

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Cal Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (3) tries to get away from SMU Mustangs defensive end Marquis White (16) in the first half at Gerald J Ford Stadium in Dallas on Sat Oct 24, 2026 (AP News photo)

Cal Bears podcast Barbara Mason:

1. Quarterback performance: How did Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele perform against SMU, and what could he have done differently to help the Bears maintain their first-half momentum?

2. Receiving game: With Chase Hendricks recording seven catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, how important was his connection with Sagapolutele to Cal’s offensive success?

3. Wide receiver contributions: How did Ian Strong, who recorded five receptions for 71 yards, complement Hendricks in Cal’s passing attack?

4. Running game: What challenges did running back Ashten Emory face against SMU’s defense, and how could Cal have improved its rushing production?

5. Defensive adjustments: What changes could Cal defenders AJ Tuitele, Kingston Lopa, and Ricky Fletcher have made to help prevent SMU from scoring 42 unanswered points in the second half?

Barbara Mason does the Cal Bears podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com