GAWANKE LEADS BARRACUDA PAST FIREBIRDS, 5-3
Nov 29, 2023Palm Desert, Ca. – The San Jose Barracuda (5-8-4-0) notched a season-high three power-play goals and were able to hold off a late Coachella Valley Firebirds (9-7-0-0) push on Wednesday night at Acrisure Arena for a 5-3 win. The victory was the Barracuda’s (1-6-2-2) first ever over the Firebirds in 11 attempts.
Leon Gawanke led the way as he collected his fourth-career three point game (1+2=3), and Thomas Bordeleau (0+2=2), Jacob Peterson (1+1=2) and Nathan Todd (1+1=2) all finished with two points.
In the first, on the first power play of the game, the Firebirds opened the scoring when Devin Shore (2) ripped in a top-shelf shot at 13:39.
In the second, on the Barracuda’s first power play, Danil Gushchin (6) would wire in the tying goal just 18 seconds into the advantage. Then, on a five-on-three man-advantage, Todd (2) snapped an 11-game goalless drought by tipping through a Bordeleau shot from the mid-point at 19:20.
19 seconds into the third, the Barracuda extended its lead to 3-1 as Gawanke (3) blasted a point shot past Chris Driedger, snapping a nine-game goalless drought, while collecting his third power-play point. At 5:59, Scott Sabourin (2) skipped the puck through Driedger’s five-hole to make it 4-1 Barracuda. The Firebirds would make things interesting by scoring a pair of goals to cut the lead back down to one, at 4-3. First Logan Morrison (5) during a delayed penalty and then Cameron Hughes (3) on a power play with an extra attacker. Despite the late push, the Barracuda would seal the win when Peterson (4) potted an empty-netter from his own endzone.
Eetu Makiniemi (1-2-0) made 31 saves to earn his first win of the year and Drieger (6-5-0) allowed five goals on 35 shots, suffering his first loss against the Barracuda in five games.
The Barracuda are back on the ice on Friday and Saturday (7 p.m.) in Tucson against Roadrunners and return to Tech CU Arena on Dec. 8 and 9 for a pair games against the Henderson Silver Knights. For more info about upcoming promotions and tickets, go to sjbarracuda.com.