Bullfrogs Finish Off San Diego
The Bullfrogs earned the home-court advantage in the Roller Hockey International playoffs, but they kept their fans on the edge of their seats by the way they did it Wednesday night.
It took a slap shot by light-scoring reserve forward Jim Ficenec with 2 minutes 31 seconds left to sink the San Diego Barracudas, 10-9, in front of 9,845 at the Pond. The Bullfrogs (22-4-2) became the first team to win 22 games in an RHI season. Minnesota, the leading team in the Eastern Conference can equal that mark with a victory tonight at Ottawa, which has won only three games this season.
However, Minnesota can finish with a maximum of 44 points, two behind the Bullfrogs.
It was the Bullfrogs’ third victory in a row and 10th in the last 11 games. They open the Pacific Division championship series against the Blades Monday at the Pond. Glenn Stewart scored four goals to give him a team-high 33 and Ficenec, a rookie from the Czech Republic who had only 13 points all season, had two assists.
It was not the kind of regular season-ending game that Bullfrog Coach Grant Sonier was seeking. Sonier might have contributed to the team’s troubles, too. He rested two key players, captain and leading scorer Victor Gervais and playmaker Savo Mitrovic. Also, Rick Judson was in Ohio to prepare for his wedding on Saturday.
Sonier warned his team not to take San Diego lightly.
It would have been very easy to do that, though. The Barracudas, losers of nine of their last 11, where without leading scorer John Spoltore, out with a knee injury, two others who were serving one-game suspensions for fighting and Coach Steve Martinson, tossed during San Diego’s 10-2 loss to the Blades on Monday for arguing with a referee.
The Barracudas pulled out of San Diego with two home games remaining because of a dispute over the conditions of the roll-on floor in their arena. They finish the season tonight, playing Sacramento in a rink in Orange.
Against the Bullfrogs, however, the Barracudas never gave up. They trailed by two goals several times, but when a crossing pass by Sandy Gasseau bounced off the leg of Bullfrog defender Joe Cook and went past goaltender Rob Laurie with 1:36 left in the third quarter, San Diego was even, 8-8.
Notes
The San Diego Barracudas’ season finale takes place at 7:30 tonight against Sacramento at Stuart’s Rollerworld in Orange. Tickets are available by calling (714) 283-4778. . . . Wednesday’s Bullfrogs-San Diego game will be shown on ESPN2 Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 11:30 p.m. . . . Monday’s Pacific Division championship playoff opener against the Blades will be shown live at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.