Gulls - Falcons Game Preview
Published on March 12, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
The Gulls and Falcons have met five times this season with San Diego holding a 3-2-0 series edge. The two teams will clash four more times in the regular season.
2003-04 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES:
11/19/03 Fresno 3 @ San Diego 4
12/16/03 San Diego 4 @ Fresno 2
01/16/04 San Diego 2 @ Fresno 4
02/21/04 Fresno 5 @ San Diego 3
02/25/04 San Diego 5 @ Fresno 2
San Diego owns the all-time series match-up, posting a 66-28-6 record against its Pacific Division rival.
LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING: FEB. 25:
After the Falcons snapped the Gulls' 14-game home streak on Feb. 21, the Gulls got some revenge with a 5-2 win in Fresno. It didn't come easy though. The Gulls built a 3-0 lead midway through the second period, thanks to goals by Sandro Sbrocca, Sylvain Deschatelets and Billy Tibbetts. The Falcons scored two straight to make things interesting, but Tibbetts and Mark Pederson restored order with back-to-back tallies midway through the third period.
GULLS UPDATE:
The Gulls (37-12-10) enter the day first in the Pacific Division, six points ahead of the second-place Las Vegas Wranglers... They are four points behind the Louisiana IceGators for the top spot in the Western Conference. San Diego, however, has played two fewer games than Louisiana... The Gulls hold the third-best overall record in the ECHL, trailing only Louisiana and the Wheeling Nailers, who have a league-high 96 points... San Diego, winless in its last two home games, is 23-5-1 at the Sports Arena this season... Even with the two-game slide, the Gulls are 14-1-1 in their last 16 on home ice...
OTHER NOTES:
San Diego is 33-9-5 against Pacific Division teams, which includes a 21-2-0 mark at home... The Gulls finished the regular season 4-3-5 against non-Pacific Division teams. Their remaining 13 games are against the Pacific Division... The Blue and Orange have lost in regulation only twice in their last 25 games (16-2-7) and five times in their last 41 games (28-5-8)... San Diego has gone to overtime in five straight games and 10 of its last 18... The Gulls and Florida Everblades are tied for the most overtime/shootout losses in the ECHL with 10 apiece... Out of San Diego's 59 games this season, 33 have been one-goal games. The Gulls are 19-4-10 in one goal affairs (1-5 in overtime and 6-5 in shootouts)... The Blue and Orange are 26 for 36 on the penalty kill during the last eight games (72.2 percent)... Trevor Koenig is tied for fourth in the ECHL with 26 wins and a 2.27 goals-against average. He is unbeaten in 17 of his last 18 games with San Diego (11-1-6)...
POINTS STILL COMING IN BUNCHES:
Deschatelets, who had his career-high 11-game point streak snapped on Saturday, has scored a goal in eight of his last 10 games and has 51 points (14g, 37a) in his last 34 games. Deschatelets' next point will set a new career high... Pederson leads the league with 38 goals and has 46 points (27g, 19a) in his last 33 games. Pederson has scored a point in 18 straight home games, which is the ECHL season high... Greg Barber has 41 points (15g, 26a) in his last 29 games and is second among league rookies with 62 points overall... Tibbetts has 15 points in his last eight games (6g, 9a)...
FRESNO UPDATE:
The Falcons (18-35-6) enter the day last in the Pacific Division with 42 points, four behind the sixth-place Long Beach Ice Dogs... They, however, have won two straight and five of their last 10... Kris Porter leads the club with 41 points (14g, 27a), while his linemates Jason Weaver and Brain Passmore share the team lead with 15 goals apiece... Kevin Truelson has the game-winning goal in each of the Falcons' two wins against San Diego this season... Truelson is a +6 against the Gulls this season, while fellow blue-liner Tapio Sammalkangas is a +5...
TRANSACTIONS:
Left-winger Brian Gornick and defenseman Andy Reierson were both assigned by the American Hockey League's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks today... Koenig returned from Cincinnati on Tuesday, while goaltender Eddy Ferhi was sent back to the Mighty Ducks the same day... Trent Clark was released on Monday... Dennis Purdie (shoulder) and Kevin (Grant) remain on the injured list... Josh Gratton remains in Cincinnati...
FUTURE HEAD-TO-HEAD GAMES:
Saturday, Mar. 13 @ San Diego (7:05 p.m.)
Friday, March 19 @ San Diego (7:35 p.m.)
Saturday, March 20 @ Fresno (7:00 p.m.)
Monday, March 29 @ Fresno (7:00 p.m.)
ECHL Stories from March 12, 2004
- Gladiators fly past 'Pilots, 4-1 - Atlanta Gladiators
- Ice Gators Rout Checkers 8-2 - Louisiana IceGators
- Rivermen Shut Out Toledo 2-0 - Peoria Rivermen
- Grrrowl Top Blades 4-1 - Florida Everblades
- Pride blasts Stingrays 7-4 - Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz
- Chiefs Win On the Road 4-3 over Reading - Johnstown Chiefs
- Bullies Top Nailers 4-3 In A Shootout - Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
- Wish Kids-N-Wheels Event Announced - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Gornick and Reierson Assigned by Cincinnati - San Diego Gulls
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- ECHL, MeiGray All-Star Auction Raises More Than $10,000 For Make-A-Wish Foundation® - ECHL
- Chiefs Sign Former Penn State Star; Campbell Activated From Injured Reserve - Johnstown Chiefs
- Bullies Acquire Marc St. Jean From Augusta - Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
- Smital loaned to San Antonio Rampage of the AHL - Texas Wildcatters
- Today In The ECHL - ECHL
- Olson Becomes 248th ECHL Player In NHL - ECHL
- Biloxi's Carol Stuart Is 50 Millionth ECHL Fan - ECHL
- Goaltender Valley Returns from Worcester (AHL) - Peoria Rivermen
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