The Mar Vista Mariners picked up their first win of the season by stopping the Sweetwater Red Devils, 5-3, in a South Bay League match-up Tuesday at the Castle Park High School rink. Both teams appear to have much room to improve as the season progresses, and the Mariners have already shown progress in their second game after dropping their season opener, 4-1, to Chula Vista last Friday.
“I’m really excited about the roller hockey team,” MVHS head coach Manny Buenrostro explained. “It’s building, especially with the younger people at the school. Kids are coming out whether they can skate or not. We’re getting more fan support. A lot more people are coming out to watch us play.”
Rodriguez led Mar Vista with four goals in Tuesday’s game. All four of Rodriguez’s goals were unassisted.
Rodriguez gave Mar Vista a 2-0 lead to end the first period. Sweetwater halved its deficit on a goal by Phillip Brandon, assisted by Armando Rivera, early in the second period. But Rodriguez proved to be in the right place at the right time to pick up the puck to put his team back up by two goals. Van Brown increased the Mariners’ lead to 4-1 later in the period.
The Red Devils narrowed the Mar Vista lead to 4-2 when Rivera scored off a feed from teammate Criseo Magyawi to start the third period. But Rodriguez stood tall for his team once again by picking up his fourth goal of the game to extend the Mariners’ lead to 5-2.
Rivera scored a late goal for Sweetwater but it wasn’t enough.
Mar Vista goaltender Jacob Dilliot turned in a big game between the pipes with 13 saves – eight of which came in the second period to blunt a momentum spurt by the Devils. Sweetwater’s Joel Ojeda was credited with seven saves – five of which came in the first period to keep the game close.
Mustangs trip up Hilltop, take 1-0 edge in Mesa League standings
Are the Otay Ranch Mustangs and the Hilltop Lancers the two best teams in the Mesa League this season? The defending champion Eastlake Titans will have something to say about that. But, with the Titans idle, the Mustangs and Lancers certainly took to the floor Tuesday afternoon with one thing on their minds: winning this year’s league title.
Otay Ranch proved to be the better team on the floor by capturing a 5-1 victory in the teams’ initial league encounter this season. The Mustangs improved to 2-0 on the season, 1-0 in league play.
“It was a great win versus Hilltop,” first-year ORHS coach Jose Castro explained. “I told the team we needed a tone setter not only for league play but for the week since we have three games this week. Our goal is to win our league and it all started with (the win over) Hilltop.
“Overall we played well, but there is still a lot of stuff we need to work on. My defenders need to fix minor details going forward and my second and third line players did a great job of hustling and giving us a shot to win and keep Hilltop at one goal. Our goalie had some key saves. We need to step it up tonight versus Saints, which can really put us on the right path leading into the winter break.”
Hilltop actually scored first in the game as Danny Godinez scored a power play goal, assisted by teammate Andew Tesner. But the teams ended the opening period knotted up at a goal apiece when Niko Trottier, assisted by Hector Sanchez, scored for Otay Ranch.
Overall, the Mustangs would finish the game with five unanswered goals following Godinez’s opening goal. Otay Ranch tacked on three more goals in the second period to lead 4-1, and closed the game with the only goal of the third period.
Each team finished the contest with one power play goal.
Goaltending proved to be a key position for Hilltop as Andy Corrales made 17 saves to keep his team close on the scoreboard.
J.T. Santiago, who saw less pressure on the night, made eight saves for the Mustangs.
Aaron Marientes led Otay Ranch with two goals while Sanchez had a goal and assist and Ricky Portilla and Trottier each scored one goal. David Mendez had one assist for the Mustangs.
Portilla skated up and down the court, contributing at both ends throughout the game.
Otay Ranch is the first Sweetwater district team to pick up two wins to start the 2015-16 season.
New-look Barons look good on the court in win over Raiders
Veteran Bonita Vista coach Keith Quigley estimated about half the players on his team saw their first action on the playing surface Tuesday night. But those roller hockey rookies didn’t look too nervous as they combined with the team’s returning players to post a 3-1 non-league win over Southwest.
“It’s always nice to start off the season with a win!” Quigley explained. “Tonight’s win was a big step for this team being that over half of my roster are new to the sport of roller hockey. The team played hard for three periods. The season is young but I can see that we’re starting to develop some team chemistry.”
Matthew Custodio got the Barons rolling with a first period goal and freshman Nicholas Stark, assisted by Custodio, made the score 2-0 with the lone goal scored in the second period. Dylan Riley increased Bonita Vista’s lead to 3-0 on a short-handed breakaway goal in the third period.
Shanti Piedra-Guido scored a power play goal to allow the Raiders to narrow the score to 3-1 late in the game. Southwest pulled its goaltender in the waning moments but could not get any closer on the scoreboard.
Quigley called it an “awesome win” and an “awesome way to start the season.”
The Barons used two goaltenders in the game. Naya Romero played the first two periods and made eight saves while Ashley Massarone was credited with two saves in the final period.
Southwest’s Mariana Cornel seemed to get stronger as the game went on. She finished the contest with 14 saves – 12 in the final two periods.
Bonita Vista continues to lead the CIF-Metro Conference with 10 female players on its 17-person coed roster.
Saints extend unbeaten streak to three games with 5-2 win over Mustangs
The St. Augustine High School roller hockey came up with a pair of big wins this week to improve to 2-1-1 and put its 17-0 season opening loss to defending Kiwanis Cup champion Rancho Bernardo out of memory.
“We’ve got some pretty good senior leadership this year,” longtime Saints head coach Christian DaLuz explained. “We’d like to take the momentum generated by our football team into the winter sports season.”
The St. Augustine football team advanced to last weekend’s San Diego Section Open Division championship game, recording a runner-up finish to the Helix Highlanders. The Saintsmen made it exciting for their gans, leading at one point in the first half before finally bowing in a 44-30 loss.
The Saints roller hockey team would like to make it an equally exciting season on their part.
St. Augustine defeated Central League newcomer Scripps Ranch, 8-7, Monday at the Escondido Sports Center and then defeated Otay Ranch, 5-2, in a non-league game Wednesday at the Castle Park High School roller hockey rink.
The win over Scripps Ranch, one of the founding schools in the San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference, was huge for the Saints program.
“It was huge for us coming off the tie game against West Hills,” DaLuz said. “It was important to let everyone know that we can skate with the Central League teams.”
The Saints rolled out to an early 4-0 lead on Scripps Ranch but found themselves knotted in a 5-5 tie with the Falcons (1-2 overall, 0-2 in league) through the second period. St. Augustine won the game with a 3-2 scoring edge in the final period.
Heid scored two goals and assisted on another in St. Augustine’s 4-0 first period goal barrage.
Scripps Ranch was shorthanded and without its two best players – Jesse Lycan, who has the flu from a recent ice hockey tournament in Minnesota, and Stewart Pond, who was away with his ice hockey team. Howver, the Falcons rallied in the second period on a hat trick by freshman Cody Sherman. Early in the third period, Sherman put the Falcons ahead on a goal, but Heid scored three straight on the depleted Falcons’ defense. With the Goalie pulled Sherman scored again, but it was a little too late as the Saints held on to win 8-7.
Heid finished the game with five goals and one assist. Sherman led Scripps Ranch with five goals and two assists.
The Saints laced up their skate again to take on Otay Ranch, which was off to an undefeated start in its first two games against Sweetwater Union High School District competition. The Mustangs battled St. Augustine to a 1-1 first period standoff and trailed just 2-1 before the Saints pulled away by scoring the first three goals of the third period to lead 5-1.
Dominico Ciaflone scored the Saints’ opening goal off a pass from team captain Nick Heid. Freshman Sean Devaney answered for Otay Ranch, assisted by Paul Chavez to tie the game. Both goals came on the power play.
Heid scored the only goal of the middle period, assisted by Ciaflone. The Mustangs killed two St. Augustine power plays in the period to remain close on the scoreboard.
But the Saints broke through in the early half of the final period as Heid scored back-to-back goals to complete a natural hat trick, and junior Jake Stewart chipped in with a goal to boost St. Augustine to a four-goal lead.
Senior Fernando Huerta and junior Josh Heid each picked up assists.
Otay Ranch closed out scoring on a goal by senior James Thomas, assisted by team captain Ricky Portilla.
Sophomore goaltender J.T. Santiago proved to be the hero of the game for the Mustangs with 30 saves.
“Otay Ranch gave us a run for our money,” DaLuz said. “We had to probe to get our goals. It wasn’t easy facing a goalie who was stopping nearly everything we were peppering him with. We kept him active.”
Top returners for the Saints this season include Heid and Huerta. Ciaflone is a sophomore while juniors Spencer Mishky and Stewart are the team’s versatile utilitymen.
The team’s newcomers include its two goaltenders – senior Johnny Bartel and sophomore Jason Rains.
Bartel made 10 saves in the win over Scripps Ranch and notched nine saves in the win over Otay Ranch.
We had our opportunities — “I can’t complain about the effort our team put into this game,” Mustang head coach Jose Castro said.
In other games Monday at the Escondido Sports Center:
A Ryan Wilson-less Rancho Bernardo team was able to beat a Josh Morrison-less Westview team, 3-1. At the same ice hockey tournament in Minnesota where Lycan caught the flu, Wilson incurred an injury
Miles Cook was credited with all three of the Broncos’ goals, with two assists going to Brendan O’Rourke and one assist going to Bailey Ridout. Dallas Oleson notched the lone goal for Westview, with RB scoring the game’s final three goals. The Broncos out-shot the Wolverines 21-11, with RB netminder Jacob Ogan notching 10 saves and Westview’s Greg Oleynichenko recording 18 saves.
Poway skated past West Hills, 3-2, in overtime. Poway scored despite being shorthanded three players to two in the overtime period. Liam Garry and Greg Dhillon scored for Poway in regulation play while Garry scored the OT winner. Poway out-shot West Hills 35-25.
Spartans continue strong start to 2015-16 season
The top team in the South Bay League this season just might be the Chula Vista Spartans. It’s still too early to tab a runaway favorite to win this year’s league championship but the Spartans appear to be the most impressive of the six teams in the league through the opening two weeks of the young season.
Chula Vista blanked Southwest, 6-0, on Wednesday to improve to 2-0 in league play.
“It’s looking up for us,” Spartan head coach matt Diaz explained. “We’ve started off strong and hope to keep it up past the winter break.”
Chula Vista lead 1-0 after the first period and 3-0 after the second period before taking command of the game against the Raiders (0-2 in league, 0-3 overall) by scoring three goals in the third period.
Junior Hector Garcia spearheaded the Spartans’ offensive attack with three goals and one assist while seniors Jesse Amador and Ricardo Pina each collected one goal and one assist. Allison Smith chipped in with one goal while senior goaltender Cruz Salas was credited with eight saves.
Garcia is the team’s top returning scorer.
Key additions this season have been Amador and sophomore Giovani Commino.
“Giovani has made a big difference for us,” Diaz said.
Mariana Cornel played a strong game for Southwest between the pipes with 18 saves.
Defending Mesa League champion Titans roll out to renewed expectations
The Eastlake Titans turned in a season to remember last season braced by the top scoring line in school history of Aaron Mayer, Sam Bawden and Michael Mechling. The Titans breezed through regular season play to capture the Mesa League title and advanced as far as the Kiwanis Cup quarterfinals.
Mayer is now playing ice hockey at San Diego State University while Bawden is in Utah and Mechling has also graduated.
Eastlake’s new-look team isn’t half bad based on the results of its opening two games – an 11-2 non-league victory against Sweetwater on Wednesday and a 13-1 shellacking of Bonita Vista to face off Mesa League play on Thursday.
“Every year is different,” EHS head coach Ron Cole assessed. “We have some good additions to the team. We have some improved players.”
Top returners include captain Sean Layton along with Brandon Benson, Percilla Mayer, Seiya Hagiya, Stefanos Alexiou and Will Hamilton. Hagiya and Benson are both entering their third year on the team.
New ice hockey players include freshman Luke Killeen and sophomore Jake Powell, both of whom play on the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League’s San Diego Union Hawks junior varsity team alongside Mayer.
The Titans racked up a quick 7-0 lead on Sweetwater before the Red Devils finally potted a pair of goals in the second period. Eastlake closed out the game with its final four goals.
Hamilton and Hagiya led all players on the court in scoring with three goals and one assist while Benson picked up two goals and one assist, Layton contributed a goal and two assists, Powell had a goal and assist, Alexiou had one goal and both Mayer and Killeen each recorded one assist.
Rookie goalie Erin Gregory chalked up three saves in her debut.
The score could have been even higher for Eastlake if it were not for the strong play of Sweetwater netminder Joel Ojeda, who recorded 28 saves in a losing effort.
Phillip Brandon scored both Red Devil goals.
The Titans opened defense of their league title the next night with the 12-goal win over the Barons (0-1 in league, 1-1 overall). Bonita Vista freshman Nick Stark scored the opening goal of the game; the Titans (1-0 in league, 2-0 overall) followed with the next 13 goals.
Killeen had a breakout game with six goals while Hamilton recorded a goal and five assists to match the upstart freshmen with six points. Hagiya notched his second hat trick in as many games while also tacking on one assist.
Benson and Alexiou each registered a goal and assist while Powell picked up two assists, Layton had one goal and Mayer collected one assist.
Gregory recorded three saves in her second varsity game. The Bonita Vista tandem of Naya Romero and Ashley Massarene racked up 22 stops (13 by Romero).
Hamilton has four goals and six assists in two games to start the season while Hagiya has six goals and two assists.
After answering the Barons’ early goal with six unanswered tallies, the Titans scored two goals in the second period to lead 8-1 and tacked on five goals in the final period.
The game featured a battle of female goaltenders – Naya Romero and Ashley Masserene for Bonita Vista and Gregory for Eastlake. Romero finished the game with 13 saves while Masserene had nine saves. Gregory was credited with three saves for the Titans.
Lancers push past Mariners, 4-2, to collect first win of season
CASTLE PARK HIGH SCHOOL, Dec. 10 –Mar Vista’s Jake Dilliot made 31 saves but Hilltop received goals from four players – and three assists from Danny Godinez – to break through with a 4-2 victory in a non-league match-up. The win was the first of the season for the Lancers (1-1) while the Mariners saw their early season record drop to 1-2.
The first period ended with a 1-0 lead for Hilltop as Gerardo Barragan scored, assisted by Eduardo Anguello, after Dilliot had stopped the first 15 shots by the Lancers. Mar Vista leveled the score at a goal apiece when Eloy Rodriguez notched the first goal of the second period. But Hilltop wasn’t finished as Andrew Tesner and Anguello, both assisted by Godinez, followed with goals to spot the Lancers to a 3-1 lead through two periods.
Esteban Martinez pushed Hilltop’s lead to 4-1 after scoring the opening goal of the third period. Rodriguez cut the Lancers’ lead in half by scoring a power play goal later in the period.
Anthony Ryan was credited with five saves between the pipes for Hilltop.
NORTH COUNTY REPORT:
Dons blow out White Tigers in 14-5 non-league encounter
ESCONDIDO SPORTS CENTER, Dec. 7, 2015 – Cathedral Catholic scored the opening seven goals in the game and went on to breeze to a 14-5 non-league victory against Escondido Charter. Sam Angeles paced the Dons (3-0) with seven goals and one assist while Drew Jones chalked up two goals and three assists and Adam Stocker tacked on two goals and one assist. Jake Belland and Sam Lathus each picked up a goal and assist in the game for the victors while John Leone contributed three assists. Kyle Ridelespurger also scored one goal for Cathedral Catholic.
Blake Woods and Joey Mendoza led the White Tigers (0-2) with two goals apiece in the setback while Jono Pecoraro picked up a goal and two assists. Evan Madieros also collected one assist.
The Don racked up a 41-30 shot advantage, with winning goaltender Patrick Henson stopping 25 of 30 shots. Bryce Mendoza saved 28 shots on 41 shots for Escondido Charter.
Poway muzzles Wolf Pack with OT short-handed goal
ESCONDIDO SPORTS CENTER, Dec. 7, 2015 – Liam Garry scored two goals, included the overtime game-winner while short-handed, as Poway (1-1) earned its first win of the season in a non-league match-up against the West Hills Wolf Pack (0-2).
Garry scored an unassisted goal to open the second period to match an unassisted goal scored by West Hills’ Wes Konold in the first period. Greg Dhillon, assisted by Jeffery Bauer, scored later in the second period to put Poway ahead 2-1.
The Wolf Pack tied the game in the final minute of the second period, and there was no scoring in the third period to set up overtime. The Titans entered the extra period short-handed but scored just 46 seconds into the sudden-victory stanza.
Christian Woolfe stopped 23 of 25 shots he faced to lift Poway to the exciting victory while Miguel San Martin stopped 32 of 35 shots he faced in absorbing the loss.
The Titans outshot the Wolf Pack 35-25, including a 2-0 edge in overtime.
Broncos push record to 3-0 with 10-3 win over CIF newcomer White Tigers
ESCONDIDO SPORTS CENTER, Dec. 10, 2015 – The Rancho Bernardo Broncos remained undefeated on the season after topping Escondido Charter. Miles Cook led the way for the Broncos (3-0) with three goals and one assist while Bailey Ridout had four points on two goals and two assists. Keigo Hachisuka scored two goals while Brendan O’Rourke, Ike Frankel and Brad Larson each contributed single goals. Assists went to Alex Pang and Chris White.
Jono Pecoraro led Escondido Charter (1-2) with two goals while Evan Medieros scored once.
Jakob Ogan stopped 21 of 24 shots to pick up the win for Rancho Bernardo while Bryce Mendoza stopped 20 of 30 shots in a losing effort for the White Tigers.
The Broncos improved to 2-0 in North County League play with the win while Escondido Charter suffered its first league loss in its first league game after opening the season with a pair of non-league games.
Wolverines blank Titans, pick up first North County League win
ESCONDIDO SPORTS CENTER, Dec. 10, 2015 – Josh Groll led Westview with three goals and two assists and goaltender Greg Oleynichenko stopped all 11 shots he faced as the Wolverines skated to their first win of the season with a 9-0 North County League decision over Poway. Dallas Oleson scored two goals (the opening two goals of the game) while three players (Jacob Groll, Keisi Takaya and Oleynichenko) each collected a goal and assist.
The Wolverines out-shot Poway 43-11.
Christian Woolfe made 34 saves in the loss for Titans (0-1 in league, 1-3 overall).
Westview (1-0 in league) evened its season record at 2-2.
Cathedral Catholic Dons roll over West Hills Wolf Pack 14-1
SKATE SAN DIEGO, Dec. 10, 2015 –The West Hills Wolf Pack ran into a buzz-saw in the guise of the top-ranked Cathedral Catholic as the Dons rolled to a 14-1 Central League victory. Drew Jones led Cathedral Catholic with three goals and five assists while Jake Belland had two goals and three assists. Also for the Dons, Kyle Riddlespurger, John Leone, Will Devaney and Sam Lathus each scored two goals while Adam Stocker was credited with one goal on the scoresheet. Colton Grover scored the lone West Hills goal in the game.
CIF-Metro Conference Rankings
Week 2 ending Dec. 10, 2015
- Cathedral Catholic Dons
- Rancho Bernardo Broncos
- Scripps Ranch Falcons
- Westview Wolverines
- Escondido Charter White Tigers
- St. Augustine Saints
- Poway Titans
- Otay Ranch Mustangs
- West Hills Wolf Pack
- Eastlake Titans
- Hilltop Lancers
- Chula Vista Spartans
Other teams: Mar Vista Mariners, Bonita Vista Barons, Sweetwater Red Devils, Castle Park Trojans, Southwest Raiders
CIF-Metro Conference Scoreboard
Monday, Dec. 7
Escondido Sports Center
Central League
St. Augustine 8, Scripps Ranch 7
North County League
Rancho Bernardo 3, Westview 1
Non-League
Poway 3, West Hills 2 (OT)
Cathedral Catholic 14, Escondido Charter 5
Tuesday, Dec. 8
Castle Park High School
South Bay League
Mar Vista 5, Sweetwater 3
Mesa League
Otay Ranch 5, Hilltop 1
Non-League
Bonita Vista 3, Southwest 1
Wednesday, Dec. 9
South Bay League
Chula Vista 6, Southwest 0
Non-League
Eastlake 11, Sweetwater 2
St. Augustine 5, Otay Ranch 2
Thursday, Dec. 10
Mesa League
Eastlake 13, Bonita Vista 1
North County League
Rancho Bernardo 10, Escondido Charter 3
Westview 9, Poway 0
Central League
Cathedral Catholic 14, West Hills 1
Non-League
Hilltop 4, Mar Vista 2
Overall Standings
(Through Dec. 10)
Cathedral Catholic Dons 4-0
Rancho Bernardo Broncos 3-0
Eastlake Titans 2-0
Chula Vista Spartans 2-0
St. Augustine Saints 2-1-1
Otay Ranch Mustangs 2-1
Westview Wolverines 2-2
Hilltop Lancers 1-1
Bonita Vista Barons 1-1
Castle Park Trojans 1-1
Escondido Charter White Tigers 1-2
Mar Vista Mariners 1-2
Scripps Ranch Falcons 1-2
Poway Titans 1-3
West Hills Wolf Pack 0-3-1
Sweetwater Red Devils 0-2
Southwest Raiders 0-3
Mesa League Standings
Otay Ranch Mustangs 1-0, 2-1
Eastlake Titans 1-0, 2-0
Bonita Vista Barons 0-1, 1-1
Hilltop Lancers 0-1, 0-1
South Bay League Standings
Chula Vista Spartans 2-0, 2-0
Castle Park Trojans 1-0, 1-1
Mar Vista Mariners 1-1, 1-2
Sweetwater Red Devils 0-1, 0-2
Southwest Raiders 0-2, 0-3
Central League Standings
Cathedral Catholic 2-0, 4-0
St. Augustine Saints 1-0-1, 2-1-1
West Hills Wolf Pack 0-1-1, 0-3-1
Scripps Ranch Falcons 0-2, 1-2
North County League Standings
Rancho Bernardo Broncos 2-0, 3-0
Poway Titans 1-1, 2-2
Westview Wolverines 1-2, 1-3
Escondido Charter White Tigers 0-1, 1-2
ICE CHIPS:
Former Gull Gibson earns NHL First Star award
Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson, who began the season with the Gulls, earned recognition as the NHL’s First Star of the Week ending Dec. 6. Gibson posted a 3-1-0 record with a 0.76 goals-against average, .968 save percentage and two shutouts to lift the Ducks (11-12-5, 27 points) into fourth place in the Pacific Division.
Gibson posted a 7-4-1 record with a 2.63 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and one shutout in 13 games with the Gulls. He is the first Ducks player to be named “First Star” since Corey Perry in April 2011.
Gibson, drafted in the second round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, began the week by stopping all 25 shots he faced in a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 30. Gibson followed that performance with 20 saves in a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 2 before recording 23 saves for his second shutout of the week (and the fourth of his career) in a 1-0 triumph over the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 4. He then closed the week with 23 stops en route to 2-1 win over his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, on Dec. 6. The 22-year-old Pittsburgh native owns a 20-10-1 record in 33 career NHL appearances (2.24 GAA, .923 save percentage, four shutouts), including a 4-2-1 clip and league-leading 1.47 goals-against average in seven outings this season.
Gibson was the hero in the Gulls’ San Diego debut on Oct. 10 when he stopped 32 of 34 shots in a 4-2 victory over Grand Rapids. He made 34 saves in a 6-5 shootout win over Bakersfield on Oct. 16 and stopped all 23 shots he faced in recording a 3-0 shutout victory in San Jose on Oct. 21.
Gibson won his first five starts with the Gulls. He posted 31 saves in a 3-2 overtime win over visiting San Antonio on Nov. 3 before dropping his first game, 4-1, in Ontario on Nov. 5 while making 23 saves.
Gibson won his next two starts, then absorbed a shootout loss before suffering two consecutive losses before being called up to Anaheim. He made 36 saves in a 4-0 loss in Stockton on Nov. 18.
Gibson started his career with the United States Under-17 and Under-18 national teams in 2009-10, advanced to the U.S. national development team in 2010-11. He played two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers (2011-13) in the OHL before playing two seasons in Norfolk (2012-14).
Gibson had call-ups to Anaheim in both 2013-14 and 2014-15 while also splitting time in Norfolk in 2014-15 prior to the team’s relocation to San Diego.
He has appeared in eight games with the Ducks through Dec. 16 with a 1.74 GAA and 0.934 save percentage.
Gulls roast Barracuda, 5-0, in road game finale
The San Diego Gulls ended a three-game road losing streak in style by posting a 5-0 victory on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 12) at SAP Center in front of 4,178 to complete a two-day California road trip. The Gulls (12-10-0-1) saw goalie Matt Hackett stop all 32 shots faced in his return from a four-game injury absence and, in the process, post his first shutout as a member of the Gulls and the fourth of his AHL career.
Max Friberg and Mike Sgarbossa each netted a goal and assist for San Diego, with Brian McGrattan, Stefan Noesen and Jiri Sekac also lighting the lamp. Sekac, down from the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks on a long-term injury conditioning loan, was plus-1 with two shots in his Gulls debut.
San Diego got the break they needed to end a 2-8-0-1 skid on the game’s opening shift when Friberg’s attempt for a centering pass from behind the Barracuda goal line banked off the back right shoulder of San Jose goalie Aaron Dell and trickled into the net.
From a trickle to a torrent, the Gulls pounced for two more goals in the next 5:09 to end Dell’s outing early and point San Diego to the victory. McGrattan swept home a pass from Kyle Bonis on the near post for his fourth goal of the year, with Shea Theodore adding his 11th assist of the season. Next, Sgarbossa settled his own rebound on the power play for his fourth goal of the season and a 3-0 advantage at 5:42.
Troy Grosenick replaced Dell between the pipes for the Barracuda (9-9-0-3), stopping 18 of 20 shots the rest of the way, but the damage was done. Hackett took center stage for San Diego in the middle period by stopping 14 shots.
The Gulls opened the third period with one of their hungriest wingers finding joy, as Noesen one-timed home a low-slot pass from Sgarbossa out of the near corner for his first goal in 23 games. Sekac finished off the scoring, working the front of the net to redirect Chris Mueller’s pass top shelf over Grosenick at 12:05 of the third.
The win pushes San Diego’s AHL point percentage back to .543, allowing an at-least temporary leap from sixth to third position in the Pacific Division standings. The road team has won in each of the first six meetings between the Gulls and Barracuda, with San Diego improving to 4-0 at SAP Center.
The Gulls return to home ice on Friday, Dec. 18, when they welcome the Barracuda to Valley View Casino Center on “Teddy Bear Toss Night.” Face-off is 7:05 p.m.
Condors hand Gulls 3-0 loss in Bakersfield
Ben Scrivens stopped all 31 shots he faced for his first win and first shutout of the season, and the Bakersfield Condors rode the goaltender’s hot performance to their second straight win over the San Diego Gulls, a 3-0 decision in front of 5,561 at Rabobank Arena on Saturday, Dec. 12.
Ryan Hamilton, Matthew Ford and Joey LaLeggia scored for Bakersfield (10-9-1-1), who moved ahead of the Gulls in the AHL Pacific Division standings. After a 9-2-0-0 start to the season, San Diego (11-10-0-1) has dropped nine of its last 11 games.
Both teams joined a physical battle in the game’s opening 10 minutes, which featured big fore-checks and a spirited scrap between San Diego’s Brian McGrattan and Bakersfield’s Kale Kessy.
San Diego killed the extra two-minute charging penalty on McGrattan and held the line scoreless until a blind pass in the neutral zone wound up costing the Gulls the game’s first goal. Hamilton, the Condors captain, picked up the slowly paced puck and wove inside the blue line, where he carried the puck for a slap shot, beating Ryan Faragher low and inside the far post for his seventh goal of the year and the 1-0 lead at 12:55.
Trailing 1-0 to start the second period, the Gulls were given a pair of early power plays for Condors high-sticking penalties. Ranked second in the AHL in power play efficiency coming into the night, San Diego saw its strength turned aroumd as the Condors picked up a short-handed rush from Ford with under nine minutes remaining. While Faragher stopped his first shot, the rebound was left in between two defensemen in the slot, and Ford spun back from the far corner, pounced upon the loose puck and snapped home a point-blank shot for his ninth goal of the season and a 2-0 advantage.
The Gulls controlled much of the remaining time in the second period but failed to convert, trailing 2-0 after 40 minutes of play. In the third period, LaLeggia finished off an extended round of pressure in the offensive zone with a rebound goal, his first of the season to set the final score line at 12:14, on assists from Greg Chase and Dillon Simpson. San Diego out-shot Bakersfield 31-26, but fell to 0-3 at Rabobank Arena by suffering a shutout for the second time in those three games.
Pacific Division Log
The Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings) lead the Pacific Division standings with a record of 15-4-2-0 (.762), followed by the Texas Stars (Dallas Stars) with a record of 14-10-2-1 (.574). The San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks) occupy third place with a record of 12-10-0-1 (.543), followed by the San Antonio Rampage (Colorado Avalanche) in fourth place with a record of 11-9-6-0 (.538).
Bakersfield (11-10-1-1, .522) is fifth in the division standings. The San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks) is sixth with a record of 9-9-1-3 (.500). Stockton (8-10-0-2, .450) is seventh in the division standings.
The AHL’s 80th anniversary season is approaching its one-third mark. Reception in the new West Coast markets has been favorable. San Diego ranks second overall in the 30-team league with an attendance average of 8,296. Ontario ranks fourth with an average of 7,839 while Bakersfield is 12th in the league with its 5,472 average.
The three California teams are averaging above the league average of 5,374 while Stockton is averaging 4,495 fans and San Jose is averaging 3,906 fans.
AHL’s Condors, Heat head outdoors for history-making game
The American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors and Stockton Heat are set to make history when they pair up in an outdoor game Friday, Dec. 18, at Raley Field in Sacramento. The Pacific Division contest will be just the eighth outdoor game in AHL history and, more importantly, the first in California.
Raley Field is the home of minor league baseball’s Sacramento River Cats in the Pacific Coast League. The stadium has a seating capacity of 10,624 (fixed seats) and more than 14,000, including lawn seating. Weather forecasts call for showers with a temperature of 45 degrees at the scheduled 7:30 p.m. face-off time.
Should the Dec. 18 game be rained out, a makeup game will be played on Dec.19, according to the Heat.
The novelty game will be the highlight of the Golden State Hockey Rush, an event being hosted by Entercom Communications Sacramento, Raley Field and RS Ice Sports & Entertainment as part of the “Biggest Show on Snow” – a six-week holiday extravaganza at Raley Field extending through Jan. 3, 2016.
The outdoor game is a showcase for the AHL’s new Pacific Division, which includes five California teams.
Stockton is the top development affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames; Bakersfield is the top affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.
“This event will be a special showcase for our Pacific Division in its inaugural season,” AHL President and Chief Executive Officer David Andrews noted in a league press release. “We look forward to this celebration of hockey outdoors and to sharing the experience with the terrific hockey fans in Northern California.”
The Golden State Hockey Rush is designed to provide fans with a unique opportunity to participate in a number of hockey- and winter-themed events. Besides the game between the Heat and the Condors, the “Biggest Show on Snow” will include a number of other attractions, including minor hockey tournaments in conjunction with the California Amateur Hockey Association, sledge hockey games, an interactive hockey zone, oversized ice slide for sledding, public skating and a New Year’s Eve Concert, among other events.
“We are very thrilled to be operating in Stockton, and to be part of the first AHL outdoor game in California,” Calgary Flames President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke noted in a team press release. “The fan response to the new team and league exceeded our expectations this off-season. With the unique stage of an outdoor game and a big-time rival as an opponent, we need our loyal fan base to provide the team with a tremendous atmosphere at Raley Field.”
Heat season ticket-holders will receive a ticket to the Raley Field game while Bakersfield fans are being offered a special discount on tickets.
Tickets start at $20.
“This event continues to validate just how much hockey has grown in California,” Heat Team President Dave Piecuch noted in a Stockton team press release. “With eight professional hockey teams calling California home and a growing population of youth hockey players developing across local rinks, we felt that this was a great opportunity to help showcase to the hockey community that the sport is alive and well not only in Stockton but all across the state!”
This event marks the first time since Dec. 30, 2013 that an AHL regular season game will be played in an outdoor stadium.
Two NHL stadium hockey games have previously been played in California – one at Dodger Stadium between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings and the other at Leiv’s Stadium in Santa Clara between the Kings and San Jose Sharks.
Fans can watch the game live on the NHL Network (check local listings) or on AHLLive.com. Fox Sports 970 AM and iHeartRadio will carry the game live in the Bakersfield market. Oilers TV will also be on hand to capture moments of the novel contest. Visit www.edmontonoilers.com to view behind the scenes coverage.
Tickets are available from www.raleyfield.com.
Bakersfield got a jump on the Heat by posting a 3-2 win indoors at the Stockton Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
