Chad Wagner, Taj Melson Back In the Lineup
February 22, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Gulls will have some old faces in the lineup tonight and look to start a winning streak when they host the Utah Grizzlies tonight at the ipayOne Center.
SERIES HISTORY: The Gulls and Grizzlies have met five times this season with San Diego holding a 3-2-0 series edge. The teams square off once more during the regular season.
2005-06 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES:
12/10/05 San Diego 4 @ Utah 3
12/12/05 San Diego 2 @ Utah 1 (overtime)
1/7/06 Utah 2 @ San Diego 6
This is Utah's first season in the ECHL.
LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING (FEB. 10 @ UTAH): The Grizzlies took a 2-0 first period lead and never looked back, eventually hanging on to beat the Gulls 4-3. Colt King and Ryan Kinasewich gave Utah their early two-goal cushion before Jesse Bennefield cut the lead to one. Brad Herauf quickly answered for Utah, but San Diego's Mark Wires made it a 3-2 game early in the third period. Travis Rycroft, however, notched what proved to be the game-winner 7:32 into the frame. Bennefield potted his second of the game about three minutes later, but that would end San Diego's comeback attempt.
GULLS UPDATE: San Diego (20-22-5) enters the day fourth in the Pacific Division with 45 points, four behind the third-place Bakersfield Condors... The Gulls are, however, 20 points ahead of the Stockton Thunder for the final playoff spot in the division... San Diego broke a franchise-high six-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over Victoria Saturday... Seven of its last nine games have been decided by one goal... The Gulls have killed 67 of 75 penalties during the last 13 games (89.3 percent)... They scored four power-play goals Saturday, but are 12-for-106 on the power play in the last 16 games (11.3 percent)... San Diego is 12-7-4 at home this season...
PLAYER NOTES: Steve Hildenbrand has points in four straight games (1g, 5a)... Bennefield has five points in his last four games (3g, 2a)... Tom Lawson has lost six of his last eight starts, but has stopped 258 of 281 shots in that span (.918 save percentage)... Five regulars remain out of the lineup with injuries (Guillaume Fournier - concussion, Richard Keyes - groin pull, Alex Kim - collar bone, Kelly Askew - broken ankle and Alex Rogosheske - torn ACL)... Team captain Jonathon Shockey played in his 500th professional game Saturday (103rd as a Gull). He has 18 points this season (3g, 15a) and is only three points shy of his single-season career high, set in 2002-03 with Idaho...
UTAH UPDATE: Utah (29-20-4) starts the day third in the West Division with 62 points, three behind the third-place Idaho Steelheads and 23 points ahead of the Victoria Salmon Kings and Phoenix Roadrunners for the final playoff spot in the division... The Grizzlies' 5-2 loss in Phoenix last night broke a seven-game winning streak... Kinasewich leads the club with 27 goals and 58 points. He has six points in five games against the Gulls this season... Utah's power play ranks fifth in the ECHL, but its penalty killing is 24th in the league...
TRANSACTIONS: Former fan favorites Taj Melson and Chad Wagner signed to play for the Gulls this week... Sebastien Fortier and Matt Kunsman, who filled in Saturday, were released... Grady Moore was activated from the injured list Saturday... Keyes was placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb. 5... Fournier, Kim and Rogosheske remain on the 30-day IR... David Svagrovsky and Tyler Weiman remain with Lowell of the American Hockey League...
FUTURE HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETINGS (1H, 0A):
Saturday, Feb. 25 vs. Utah (7:05 p.m. PST)
ECHL Stories from February 22, 2006
- Phoenix Power Play Shocks Grizzlies 5-2 - OSC Original by Andrew Nordmeier
- Aces weekend preview at Victoria - Alaska Aces
- Murphy returns from AHL - Fresno Falcons
- I went to a hockey game and a fight broke out - Bakersfield Condors
- Teixeira traded to Gwinnett for future considerations - Charlotte Checkers
- ECHL Olympic Update For February 22 - ECHL
- Gladiators Add Two - Atlanta Gladiators
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Practices At ipayOne Center Scheudled for Friday And Saturday - San Diego Gulls
- Toledo Makes More Moves - Toledo Walleye
- Grrrowl acquire Bonello from Storm - Greenville Grrrowl
- Chad Wagner, Taj Melson Back In the Lineup - San Diego Gulls
- America One Game Of The Week Is Wheeling At Toledo - ECHL
- Condors Honor Olympics, Raise Over $23,000 - Bakersfield Condors
- Original ECHL Member Hosts Kelly Cup Tour - ECHL
- Rudkowsky Makes Second Trip to Bridgeport - Reading Royals
- Sgt. Slaughter Highlights Chiefs U.S. Army Weekend - Johnstown Chiefs
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Landolt Shines In Close Game - Pensacola Ice Pilots
- 13 Is Lucky In Las Vegas - Victoria Salmon Kings
- Wranglers Fall to Victoria in Overtime - Las Vegas Wranglers
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