SAN JOSE—After a brutal loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday, October 13, the San Jose Barracuda were determined to step up their game and defeat the San Antonio Rampage the following afternoon.
Unfortunately, San Antonio managed to notch the game-winning goal with less than two minutes remaining in the match. The final score was 3-2.
Center Alexander True scored the first goal of the game (which was also his first professional goal) 15 minutes and 16 seconds into the first period with an assist by left winger Adam Helewka. With five seconds left in the period, San Antonio center Rocco Grimaldi (with the help of left winger Andrew Agozzino) tied the score.
Clearly determined not to allow as many goals as they had the night before, San Jose amped up their defense in the second period. Neither team scored during the first 18 minutes; however, left winger Filip Sandberg helped the team take a 2-1 lead with a power play goal at the 18:24 mark (1:48 remaining in the period). Defenseman Julius Bergman added an assist.
While the strong defensive plays continued during the third period, San Antonio center Joe Colborne tied the score with a redirect goal through on the power play. San Jose issued San Antonio several power play opportunities, but managed to keep the score tied until Agozzino scored his second goal, the game-winner in the last two minutes of play.
San Antonio goalie Spencer Martin took home a win over San Jose’s Antoine Bibeau. Martin stopped 16 shots of 18, whereas Bibeau blocked 35 shots out of 38.
The Barracuda did step up in some regards from the previous game (their defensive plays being one of them), but their efforts and “decisions” (as described by Head Coach Roy Sommer) were just not up to par.
“On the five-on-three [play], we didn’t generate anything off of that,” Sommer said. “We had one shot and one decent look and didn’t get enough pucks to the net… We [also] took some bad penalties, made some bad decisions. We were put on a four-on-four, made it clear and took a guy down and made it a four-on-three [play], and [San Antonio] scored on it.
“Special teams, I think, were a big part of today’s game. I thought [San Antonio’s] goalie was really good; he kept us in the game and gave us an opportunity to win, but we didn’t give him any help offensively.”
On Friday night, following the loss to Grand Rapids, winger Brandon Mashinter used the word “unacceptable” when asked to describe the team’s efforts. Canyon News asked him which aspects of the San Antonio game, despite the second consecutive loss, were “acceptable,” noting that the team certainly had played better than before.
“[Today] was a little bit better, but we need to move pucks a little quicker in our defensive zone and be harder on pucks. We just need an all-around game; we have not been doing that the last two games,” Mashinter responded.
Mashinter’s offensive line mates are True and fellow winger Brandon Bollig, all of whom are big bodied; Mashinter stands at 6 feet and 4 inches tall and weighs 212 pounds, True is 6’= feet and 5 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, and Bollig is 6 feet and 2 inches tall and 200 pounds.
“[True] is really good on draws, he has won a lot. [Bollig] gets it on the four-check and makes a lot of room for us, as do the three of us,” Mashinter continued. “We’ve done fairly well for the most part, but it is a team effort.”
San Jose is now ranked sixth in the Pacific Division of the AHL, having previously been ranked third before giving up the close win to San Antonio.
