Bulls Win in a Shootout!!!!!!!!
By Ryan Bayer
Mar 31, 2012; San Jose, CA, USA; The San Jose Sharks celebrate after the game against the Dallas Stars at HP Pavilion. San Jose defeated Dallas 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE
Last night, the ECHL affiliate of San Jose, the Bulls were in hockey action. San Francisco played hosts to the Utah Grizzlies at the legendary Cow Palace in front of a crowd of 4,854 The Bulls have encountered early struggles in their first season in the ECHL, posting a 4-9-0-2 record going in the game. Today San Francisco is wrapping up their 2 game series against the Utah Grizzliess. The Bulls dropped the opener of the series with a 5-3 loss. Look for the Bulls to come out with some much needed desperation. Today’s game can viewed on America One Sports Network online or you can listen to them on KNBR’s website at 2:15pm. Let’s Go Bulls!!!!!!
April 19, 2012; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton (19) is congratulated by defenseman Dan Boyle (22) after scoring a goal against the St. Louis Blues during the third period in game four of the 2012 Western Conference quarterfinals at HP Pavilion. St. Louis defeated San Jose 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE
San Francisco Game notes: Bulls opened the scoring with a goal scored by Kris Belan that was assisted by Andrew Crescenzi and Jamie Devane at the 3:00 mark of the opening period to make it a 1-0 Bulls lead. Over three minutes following the Bulls goal, Utah was assessed their first penalty of the game when Stoflet was called for holding the stick at 6:08 of the first. Over five minutes later, Utah tied the game at 1-1 with a goal scored by Wahl assisted by Falite and Patterson at 11:27 mark. With three minutes remaining in the opening stanza, San Francisco forward Jamie Devane was charged with a boarding minor. Following the Bulls boarding minor, Utah defenseman James Martin was charged with a boarding minor of his own in the last minutes of the opening frame. Utah would fail to convert on their power play opportunity and both teams went into the dressing room tied at 1 goal a piece. However, the Bulls would have a 1:19 of carry over power play time at the start of the middle period. San Francisco would enter the middle frame with a man advantage as they were able to put only 1 shot on net as they failed to score. After San Francisco failed to convert on the power play, another opportunity would present itself when Utah’s Right Winger Bryan Cameron was charged for tripping with 14:24 mark in the second period. The Bulls would not score on the power play. Under five minutes later, Bulls were charged with a roughing penalty to Mikeal Tam with 18:33 mark of the middle period. The Grizzlies failed to convert on the man advantage. At the end of the second period the score remained tied at 1-1, with the shots on goal favoring the Bulls at 25-13. Utah would start the final period on the man advantage. The Bulls were up to the task as they would kill off the remainder on the Grizzlies power play to keep it a 1-1 tie. Shortly after they killed off the penalty, Utah’s Ryan Howse was charged with a delay of game penalty at the 1:40 mark in the early stages of the final frame. San Francisco would not score on the man advantage as the game remained tied at 1. A few minutes later, Riley Armstrong of Utah was called for goaltender interference at the 4:38 mark of the third. Another penalty was charged to Utah’s James Martin for slashing at the 6:06 marker to put the Bulls up by a two man advantage. Under a minute later, Bulls were called for too many men on the ice with Alex Tuckerman being sent to the penalty box to serve the Bulls bench minor. Following the completion of the Grizzlies penalty, they went on the power play where they ended up converting to make it 2-1 Utah lead with a goal scored by Bryan Cameron assisted by Armstrong and Wahl at the 8:24 mark. After the goal was scored, Bulls goaltender Heemskerk was called for roughing at 9:00 of the third. There was no scoring on the man advantage for Utah. Minutes later Bulls Crescenzi was called for slashing and it did not take long for the Grizzlies to make San Francisco pay for their mistake when Riley Armstrong scored to make it 3-1 lead with assists coming from Wahl and Tuzzolino. San Francisco would make it interesting towards the end when Peter Sivak would score to cut the Grizzlies 3-1 lead to make it 3-2, assists would come from Heemsherk and Guimond at the 17:57 mark. In the final seconds of the third, Bulls Captain Justin Bowers came up with a clutch goal to tie the game up at 3 goals apiece with assists from Guimond and Tam. With late seconds of heroics by San Francisco, both teams entered overtime at a 3-3 tie. In five minutes of the overtime period as San Francisco had the only shot on goal as both teams would head to the shootout. The Bulls would win in the 6th round of shootout and the game when Dean Ouellet sealed it for San Francisco to make it well hard fought come from behind 4-3 win.
3 Stars of the game: 1. SF – 41 Justin Bowers 2. SF – 44 Sacha Guimond 3. UTA – 7 Mitch Wahl