The Firebirds defeated the Barracuda on Saturday night in San Jose by the final score of 8-2. Max McCormick recorded five points in the victory (two goals, three assists), the most for a Firebirds player in a single game.

The Firebirds scored three times in the opening period. Luke Henman followed up an Andrew Poturalski try on net with his first goal of the year to give Coachella Valley a 1-0 lead 5:18 into the game. Kole Lind was credited with the secondary assist. Max McCormick netted a powerplay goal from Lind to extend the Firebirds’ lead to 2-0 shortly followed by terrific effort by Ryker Evans to make it 3-0.

Shane Wright helped the Firebirds pick up right where they left off in the second period. Ryan Winterton forced the puck free with a heavy stick lift and fed Wright for his second goal of the season and Winterton’s first professional point. Jacob Melanson finished off a 2-on-1 with McCormick to net his first goal as a pro at 9:10 of the second. Marian Studenic redirected a Connor Carrick wrist shot from the blueline to cash in with his second tally of the season at 11:59.

Coachella Valley capped off their impressive offensive output with two more goals in the third period. McCormick snuck behind the Barracuda defense to make it 7-0. The goal marked McCormick’s fifth point of the game, setting a Firebirds franchise record for most points in a single game. Ryan Winterton picked up his first professional goal with a shorthanded breakaway goal at 12:28.

Danil Guschin added two late goals for San Jose before the buzzer sounded, making the final score 8-2.

The Firebirds outshot the Barracuda 39-35 and finished 1-for-3 on the powerplay. The penalty kill went 2-for-2. With the win, the Coachella Valley moves to 2-2 on the season.

View the game’s full box score HERE.

NEXT GAME

Coachella Valley will rematch with the Barracuda tomorrow afternoon at 3pm PT from San Jose.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

Join the Firebirds on Tuesday, October 31st vs. Abbotsford for Dia de los Muertos! Both games are scheduled for 7pm PT. Head to Ticketmaster to lock in your seat before it’s too late. Don’t forget to purchase parking in advance online at ParkWhiz.

Full and Half Season, Group, and Flex tickets for the Firebirds’ 2023-24 campaign are on sale now. For a full list of benefits and more information on Season Ticket Memberships for the 2023-24 season, click HERE or call 760-835-8778.

Stay up to date on the latest Firebirds’ news and info by visiting CVFirebirds.com and by following the team on social media @Firebirds.