BARRACUDA SCORCHED BY FIREBIRDS, 8-3
Dec 9, 2022
San Jose, CA - The San Jose Barracuda (12-10-0-1) allowed five goals in the first period en route to an 8-3 loss against the Coachella Valley Firebirds (12-4-2-0) at Tech CU Arena on Friday’s Top Gun Night.
Max McCormick (8) got the Firebirds on the scoreboard quickly at 1:46 after redirecting the puck passed Aaron Dell as he was parked in front of the net. Minutes later at 4:20, Rogan Rafferty (2) followed up on a rebound and banked a shot off Dell and in from below the goal line. San Jose received a quick response from Jeffery Viel (4) who wristed the puck through the five-hole of Joey Daccord. Kole Lind (10) gave Coachella its two-goal lead back after he swiped the puck in on a open net. After receiving their first power play of the game, the Firebirds scored their fourth goal before the 10-minute mark off a slap shot from John Hayden (7). At 13:45, Lind cashed in his second goal of the period to give the Firebirds their fifth of the frame. The Barracuda were outshot 17-4 in the first twenty minutes.
Strauss Mann took over the crease to begin the second but at 1:53, Lind scored his third goal of the game for the hat-trick on a rebound. It was Coachella’s third power-play goal of the game. After Lind's third goal, William Eklund (7) put a shot off the post and in at 13:39 to cut the lead to four.
At 8:15 in the third period, Danil Gushchin (5) found Montana Onyebuchi (3) wide open, making it 6-3. The Firebirds added more insurance on their fourth power-play goal of the night when McCormick found a loose rebound in tight. Andrew Porturalski (6) made it 8-6 Coachella at 18:31.
Lind (3+1=4) put up four points and a hat-trick for the second time this season. McCormick (2+1=3), Porturalski (1+2=3) and Ryker Evans (0+3=3) all had three-point nights. Matt Tennyson (0+2=2) and Jesper Froden (0+2=2) had two-point nights.
Dell (3-4-0) made 12 saves on 17 shots before being pulled after the first period. Mann made 17 saves on 20 shots in relief. Daccord (7-2-1) earned his seventh win of the season only making 13 saves on 16 shots.