Falcons Take Game 6, Series Tied 3-3 With Game 7 Tomorrow
Published on May 11, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
SAN DIEGO -- The Fresno Falcons staved off elimination with a 6-3 victory over the San Diego Gulls in Game 6 Saturday night, before 7,704 at the Sports Arena. The two teams will duke it out for the Taylor Cup Championship Sunday at the Sports Arena in a winner-take-all Game 7.
Jason Weaver led the way for the Falcons with three goals and an assist, while Rob Bonneau netted the game-winner short-handed early in the third period.
San Diego had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 early in the game, but couldn't hold them. Mark Pederson gave the Gulls an early one-goal lead just 1:20 into the game. Sylvain Deschatelets worked the puck to the left point where Trevor Sherban unleashed a hard slap shot. Terry Friesen made the save, but the rebound caromed to Pederson, who flipped in his fifth postseason goal.
Weaver tied it up with his first of the night at 9:07 of the opening frame. Weaver took a pass from Glen Gulutzan, skated in all-alone against Trevor Koenig and tucked home a pretty backhander.
Bruce Watson gave San Diego a 2-1 cushion with his second playoff goal 1:34 later, stripping the puck in the Fresno zone and beating Friesen with a low wrist shot.
Weaver evened things up again with a power-play tally at 16:22 of the first. Gulutzan grabbed the puck along the right-wing boards and feathered a cross-ice pass to Weaver, who roofed it over Koenig for his second goal of the game.
The Fresno captain completed the hat trick midway through the second period to put the Falcons up 3-2. Kris Porter gained possession behind the Gulls net and threaded it in front to Weaver, who squeezed a snap shot past Koenig for his third goal of the night - sixth of the playoffs.
That lead didn't last long as the Gulls tied it right back up at 15:59, thanks to Miguel Delisle. Dean Tiltgen stole the puck along the right-wing boards and fed the slot to Delisle, who one-timed home his fourth marker.
Bonneau gave the Falcons the lead for good with his short-handed, breakaway tally 2:24 into the third period. The Fresno center got behind the San Diego defense, made a couple of nice stick-handles and slid in his league-leading seventh goal.
Scott Borders gave Fresno a 5-3 lead with his third goal at 6:43 of the third. Borders took the puck at center ice, skated in on a two-on-one rush and blistered in a slap shot from the right circle. The rookie winger then sealed the win with an empty-netter at 19:28.
Notes: Tiltgen and Bonneau both extended their point streaks to eight games, this season's playoff high... Pederson and Gulutzan are tied for the league lead with 14 postseason points... The only other Game 7 in West Coast Hockey League history was in the 2001 finals. The Gulls beat the Idaho Steelheads four games to three...
Game 7 will be right back at the Sports Arena on Sunday, with game time set for 5 p.m. You can catch all the play-by-play with Chris Ello on AM1130 KSDO. The Gulls Internet Radio Show's archives can be heard anytime on wsradio.com.
ECHL Stories from May 11, 2003
- Falcons Dethroned - Fresno Falcons
- Gulls Win Taylor Cup - San Diego Gulls
- All Along The Coast - ECHL
- Falcons Force Game Seven - Fresno Falcons
- Falcons Take Game 6, Series Tied 3-3 With Game 7 Tomorrow - San Diego Gulls
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