Goalies Put On A Show In Gull\'s Shootout Victory

Published on January 31, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


SAN DIEGO – The Gulls extended their winning streak to a season-high eight straight games Friday night before 5,289 at the Sports Arena...but it wasn't easy. Trevor Koenig stopped 30 shots and Greg Barber beat Steelheads' goalie Blair Allison on the Gulls' sixth attempt of the overtime shootout to extend San Diego's Pacific Division lead to six points.

Mike Garrow and Greg Barber each notched goals during regulation, but the stellar play of Koenig and Allison was the story of the game. Koenig must have been getting tired of seeing teammate Mark Pederson steal all the recent headlines because the Gulls' netminder came up with one of his best performances of the season. He turned away 30 shots during regulation and overtime before making a series of spectacular saves in the shootout, putting Barber in position to seal the game.

The Blue and Orange (29-10-3) extended their Pacific Division lead to six points over Idaho (25-13-5). The Gulls have won ten straight on home ice and eight straight overall. San Diego now has an eight-point lead over third-place Las Vegas and leads Alaska by 10.

The Gulls drew first blood, when Garrow lit the lamp for the 12th time this season. San Diego's power play has torched the Steelheads all season, and the trend continued when Derek Paget was called for tripping at the 5:25 mark, putting Idaho on the penalty kill for the second time in the game. Chris Gobert fed Garrow at the point and the Gulls' defenseman launched a one-timer past Allison to give San Diego the 1-0 lead, 7:10 into the first.

Idaho managed to tie the game in the waning moments of the first period on an Andrei Vasilyev tally. Brett Draney picked up a loose puck behind the Gulls' net and skated back up the ice, launching a slap shot from the top of the right circle. Vasilyev was waiting just outside the crease and tipped the shot past Koenig, tying the game at one, 18:18 into the first.

Idaho had numerous opportunities to take the lead in the second, but wasted two power-play chances and a three-on-one breakaway. The Steelheads also had a goal disallowed with just 90 seconds left in the period after it was determined that the ref's whistle had blown before the puck crossed the goal line. Tight defense held the two teams to a combined 18 shots on goal during the period and stellar goaltending by Koenig and Allison kept the game knotted at one.

The deadlock was finally broken, 7:28 into the third, when Barber netted his 16th goal of the season to put the Gulls back on top. The Gulls' all-star picked up the puck in the left circle, skated through three Idaho defenders, and launched a slap shot that beat Allison for San Diego's second goal. Pederson assisted on the tally, extending his ECHL season-high point-scoring streak to 17.

It appeared that the lead wouldn't last long, as Idaho found the back of the net once again, 9:22 into the third, but had a goal waved off by the referee for the second time in the game. Lance Galbaith kicked in the rebound of a Miguel Delisle shot, but the referee was quick to disallow the score and the Gulls remained in the driver's seat, 2-1.

The Steelheads wouldn't say die, however, and fought back to tie the game at two with just 2:39 left in the game on Vasilyev's second tally of the night. The Idaho forward picked up the puck in the left circle and skated into the slot, launching a wrister that found its way past a screened Koenig for his sixth goal of the season, sending the game into overtime.

The goalies shut the door once again, as both teams failed to light the lamp in the extra period, then put on a clinic in the overtime shootout. Both goalies made several spectacular saves before Barber finally beat Allison on the Gulls' sixth shot, giving the Blue and Orange the two points.

Notes: San Diego has won 10 straight at home... Pederson, Barber and Sylvain Deschatelets have combined for 52 points (21g, 31a) in the last 12 games... Pederson has 28 points (18g, 10a) during his 17-game point streak... Barber is on a career-high 10-game point streak. He has 19 points (7g, 12a) in his last 12 games... Deschatelets has 27 points (5g, 22a) in the last 17 games... The Gulls are unbeaten in 21 of their last 24 games (20-3-1), outscoring their opponents 83-49... San Diego is 27-7-3 against Pacific Division teams, including a 17-1-0 mark at home... The Blue and Orange have allowed only 13 power-play goals in their last 137 short-handed chances (90.5 percent)... Clayton Read was activated Friday after missing the last seven games with a concussion... Friday was the birthday of Gulls' all-time leading scorer and associate coach, Martin St. Amour... Kevin Grant remains on the injured list with a strained neck... Josh Gratton remains with the American Hockey League's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks...

The Gulls conclude their homestand Saturday against the Bakersfield Condors. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. and will feature the ZOOperstars! as the intermission entertainment. San Diego then hits the road for three games in Boise, Idaho next week. All games can be heard live on KPOP 1360AM with Chris Ello calling the play-by-play. The next edition of the Gulls Internet Radio show, hosted by Tera Black and Jeremy Zager on wsRadio.com, will air live Monday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. To view pictures from tonight's game, as well as previous Gulls' games, visit www.sdgullsphotos.com.

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ECHL Stories from January 31, 2004


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