San Diego, Calif. – The Stockton Heat scored a shorthanded marker and broke their offensive cold streak during 5-on-5 play, but eventually fell to the San Diego Gulls 3-2 in a shootout Friday night in San Diego. Bryce Van Brabant scored his first goal of the year while shorthanded and Bill Arnold tied the game late in the third with a beautiful backhand goal right on top of the crease. Unfortunately, the Heat went cold on the power play, including a missed chance during the 3-on-3 overtime period, and San Diego took the first ever meeting between the two teams in the shootout with Mike Scarbossa the lone goal scorer for both teams. The teams will have a quick turnaround, as they will matchup once more in less than 24-hours in San Diego when they faceoff for a late afternoon tilt on Halloween Saturday.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Period
No goals
Shots: STK – 9 | SD – 8
2nd Period
San Diego goal: F Nick Ritchie (5) rebound is put past the goaltender’s outstretched blocker as the shot from the point is kicked right to his stick (Montour, Friberg assists), 14:59 (PP)
HEAT GOAL: F Bryce Van Brabant (1) shot from the half wall makes its way through a screen and past the goaltender (Shore assist), 15:53 (SH)
San Diego goal: F Max Friberg (2) rebound from the side of the net is put past the goaltender’s glove after the shot from the slot was kicked aside (Laganiere assist), 16:21 (PP)
Shots: STK – 10 | SD – 11
3rd Period
HEAT GOAL: F Bill Arnold (2) backhand deke is tucked around the goaltender’s outstretched pad (Kulak, Johnson assists), 15:57
Shots: STK – 12 | SD – 6
Overtime
No goals
Shots: STK – 2 | SD – 1
Shootout
1. SD – Noesen – missed
STK – Agostino – missed
2. SD – Ritchie – missed
STK – Arnold – missed
3. SD – Friberg – missed
STK – Granlund – missed
4. SD – Sgarbossa – scored
STK – Hamilton – missed
GOALIES
W: Matt Hackett (14 shots, 13 saves)
John Gibson (19 shots, 18 saves) replaced by Hackett at the beginning of the third period
L: Jon Gillies (26 shots, 24 saves)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
Three Stars: 1- Mike Sgarbossa (Shootout winner) 2- Max Friberg (1-1-2) 3- Matt Hackett (14 shots, 13 saves)
Final Shots: STK – 33 | SD – 27
Power Plays: STK – 0/7 | SD – 2/4
Bryce Van Brabant scores the team’s first shorthanded goal of the year
Bill Arnold now has a point in back-to-back games (2 GP 1-1-2)
QUOTES
“It was kind of a broken play. [Drew] Shore was pressuring the man and luckily we got the puck. I kind of just shot it towards the net and I don’t think the goalie even saw it because [Drew Shore] was in front of the net.” – Bryce Van Brabant on his shorthanded goal
“We had a great push at the end and I thought we were really taking it to them and dictating the play [at the end of the third period]. As for overtime, it’s not really what everyone’s used to because you don’t play it growing up. You don’t want to miss the net and all the sudden it’s an odd man rush going the other way. It’s all about taking your looks when they’re there and preventing the other team from getting any.” – Van Brabant on the Heat’s play down the stretch and into the overtime period.
“It was our first experience with [3-on-3 overtime] and maybe a little hesitation out there. I think that we settled in as it went on and had some good chances at the end there. We just have to put one of those in during the shootout. Jon [Gillies] did his job to stop the first three shots, so we have to bear down and be better there.” – Bill Arnold on his team’s effort in overtime and the shootout.
“Our power play has been going pretty well this year, so that was kind of disappointing to not capitalize on that 5-on-3 in the first period to get an early lead. We’ll watch some film tonight, figure out what we were doing wrong and come back tomorrow ready to go.” – Arnold on the failed 5-on-3 in the first period.
“They called [Kulak’s waved-off goal] a no goal and it is what it is. You can’t let it affect you and I thought we did a really good job of not letting it get to us. We battled back to tie it late and earned a point out of it.” – Arnold on Kulak’s waved-off goal.
“I was real happy with the way we worked tonight. A little bit of our execution was off at times, but the efforts that we put forth were what we want to see consistently. At the end of the day we didn’t score on some lengthy power plays and that’s the difference in tonight’s game.” – Head Coach Ryan Huska on his team’s effort tonight.
“It was really a good game for an early-season game. They’re a fast, hard-working team. I really feel that the difference for us was our inability to score on the power play tonight. We’ll have a look at our power play tonight on film. We want to see the same type of effort, but just execute on a few more of the plays.” – Coach Huska on what the Heat will focus on heading into the game tomorrow evening.
NEXT HOME GAME
STOCKTON HEAT vs. Bakersfield Condors
November 6 @ Stockton Arena
Hot Pink I – First 500 women 18 & over receive a pink Heat cap
Doors @ 6:30 p.m., Puck drop @ 7:30 p.m.
