The Coachella Valley Firebirds continued their winning streak, kicking off their first ever Pride Weekend by dominating fashion at Acrisure Arena on Saturday night.
The Firebirds have had San Jose Barracuda numbers all season long, and Saturday was no exception. They scored his two goals in the first period to put him up 2-0, then never looked back and scored a shutout to help him win 4-0.
For the Firebirds, it was their 7th straight win and their 10th win in 11 games. The Coachella Valley currently dominates his No. 1 ranking in the Pacific Division with a 22-6-3 season. Calgary, who tied with them, did not play on Saturday. In that stretch, Coachella Valley outscored his opponents by 44-21.
The Barracudas of the San Jose Sharks have struggled this season against the Firebirds, losing all four of their matches. There was animosity and may be the reason why multiple other brawls took place.
Firebird wore a special Pride jersey on the first day of Pride Weekend at Acrysure Arena. The base of these Pride jerseys was white, with the Firebird logo, number outline, and edge stripes of the jersey adorned with Pride colors. The back of the jersey also had the letters “Rising Together” written in light blue.
The jersey will be worn again for Sunday’s home game against Ontario and will be auctioned online using the DASH Auctions app. Proceeds from the online jersey auction will be donated to her LGBTQ+ youth organization in the Coachella Valley.
The ritual puck drop at the start of the game was handled by Asher Visgard of Palm Springs Pride. Usher is the youngest volunteer for the 2022 Palm Springs Pride. Visgard volunteered entertainment/hospitality at the recent Palm Springs Pride Festival and in 2021 and he participated in the parade in 2022 with the school’s Gay Straight Alliance Club.
the goal
1-0 Firebird: The first goal was scored by Brogan Rafferty five minutes into the first period. He opened up on the left side of the goal and scored on a one-timer. Assists are credited to Riker Evans and Max McCormick.
2-0 Firebird: Alexander True scored the Firebirds’ second goal midway through the first period away from the power play. Cameron Hughes opened up on the right side of the net and shot into the net. True put his stick on the puck and sneaked in to score. Assists were credited to Cameron Hughes and Brogan Rafferty.
3-0 Firebird: The third goal came in the middle of the second period. Cole Lind snatched the puck from a defender in his Barracuda territory and after a few passes Cameron scored on the left side of the net and he ended up in the hands of Hughes. Assists are credited to Cole Lind and Alexander for his true.
4-0 Firebird: The fourth goal of the game came early in the third period courtesy of Carson Twarinski. Assists are credited to Matt Tennison and Luke Henman.
Desert Sun Firebirds Player of the Game
Joey Accord: Accord was in the net in every Firebird game. Even though the Barracuda shot through the Firebirds with his 39 shots, the Accord did not allow him a single run and secured a shutout.
ice nuggets
Utmost Pride: A sold-out crowd at Acrisure Arena showed their support for the LGBTQ+ community throughout the night. Fans received a Coachella Valley his Firebird flag adorned with Pride colors and waved throughout the arena during the game and in keeping with all other Pride festivals.
Advantages over Barracuda: The Firebirds are now all-time 4-0 against San Jose Barracuda. They went 21 for 4 and in four meetings he had two shutouts.
