Gulls - Falcons Game Preview
March 19, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
The Gulls and Falcons have met seven times this season with San Diego holding a 5-2-0 series edge. The two teams will clash two more times in the regular season, both in Fresno.
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
03/12/04 Fresno 1 @ San Diego 4
03/13/04 Fresno 4 @ San Diego 5
San Diego owns the all-time series match-up, posting a 68-28-6 record against its Pacific Division rival.
LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING: MARCH 13:
Sylvain Deschatelets scored twice, including the game-winner midway through the third period, leading San Diego to a tight 5-4 win over Fresno. It looked like the Gulls were going to run away with the game after taking a 4-1 lead midway through the second period. The Falcons, however, scored three straight goals to tie the game early in the third. Fresno had all the momentum, but Deschatelets made sure San Diego would skate away with the two points as he netted the deciding tally with 9:13 left in the third.
GULLS UPDATE:
The Gulls (40-12-10) enter the day first in the Pacific Division, eight points ahead of the second-place Las Vegas Wranglers and nine points in front of the third-place Idaho Steelheads. San Diego needs 12 points in its final 10 games to clinch first place... The Gulls are four points behind the Louisiana IceGators for the top spot in the Western Conference. San Diego, however, has played three 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 99 points... San Diego is 25-5-1 at the Sports Arena this season and is 16-1-1 in its last 18 games on home ice...
OTHER NOTES:
San Diego is unbeaten in its last nine games (5-0-4)... The Gulls are 36-9-5 against Pacific Division teams, which includes a 23-2-0 mark at home... They've lost in regulation only twice in their last 28 games (19-2-7) and five times in their last 44 games (31-5-8)... Out of San Diego's 62 games this season, 34 have been one-goal games. The Gulls are 20-4-10 in one-goal affairs (1-5 in overtime and 6-5 in shootouts)... Trevor Koenig is third in the ECHL with 27 wins and tied for fourth with a 2.27 goals-against average. He is unbeaten in 20 of his last 21 games (14-1-6)...
PEDERSON, DESCHATELETS AND BARBER UPDATE:
Mark Pederson leads the league with 42 goals and is fifth with 76 points. Pederson also leads the ECHL with 18 power-play goals and is tied for second with eight game-winning goals. He has a five-game point streak and nine points (4g, 5a) in his last three games... Pederson has also scored a point in 20 straight home games... Deschatelets is in the midst of a career-high 16-game point streak, which began Feb. 10 (he was recently awarded an assist for the March 6 game in Texas). During his streak, he has 26 points (10g, 16a)... Deschatelets is 13th overall in the league with 69 points... Greg Barber has 10 points in his last four games (5g, 5a) and leads all ECHL rookies overall with 70 points, 28 goals and 42 assists... His 70 points is tied for 10th among all ECHL scorers...
FRESNO UPDATE:
The Falcons (19-37-6) enter the day last in the Pacific Division with 44 points, three behind the sixth-place Long Beach Ice Dogs... They are 8-22-1 on the road this season... Kris Porter leads the club with 43 points (15g, 28a)... Fresno is one of only two Pacific Division teams to beat the Gulls at home (the other was Las Vegas)... Kevin Truelson has the game-winning goal in each of the Falcons' two wins against San Diego this season... Jason Weaver, who's tied for second on the team with 15 goals, is out for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury... Nolan Schaefer, who has appeared in 12 games for Fresno this season, has been called up to the NHL's San Jose Sharks...
TRANSACTIONS:
Billy Tibbetts is suspended for tonight's game after receiving a match penalty for having his wrist taped during a fight Sunday in Long Beach... Head coach Steve Martinson serves the first of a five-game suspension tonight for violating ECHL salary cap rules... Colin Zulianello was activated from injured reserve after sitting out the last three games with a groin injury... Emergency back-up goaltender Mike Buckley was released today... Kevin Grant was also activated from the injured list after missing the last 29 games with a neck strain... Jamie Black was signed yesterday then transferred to the injured list with an ankle injury... Nick Lent was acquired from the Greenville Grrrowl for future considerations on Tuesday, but remains with the American Hockey League's Springfield Falcons... Scott Kirton was acquired from the Trenton Titans Tuesday in exchange for Dean Tiltgen... Andy Reierson was recalled by the AHL's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks on Monday... Josh Gratton remains with Cincinnati... Dennis Purdie remains on the injured list...
FUTURE HEAD-TO-HEAD GAMES:
Saturday, March 20 @ Fresno (7 p.m.)
Monday, March 29 @ Fresno (7 p.m.)
ECHL Stories from March 19, 2004
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- Titans Squeak Out Win Over Royals 2-1 - Trenton Devils
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- Sea Wolves Slip Past IceGators 3-1 - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- Blades Fall 6-4 to Greensboro - Florida Everblades
- Bombers edge Nailers, 3-2, in shootout for second straight win - Dayton Bombers
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- License Plate Frames Tonight - Bakersfield Condors
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- First 1,000 Fans Receive a Free Hockey Stick Tomorrow Night - Fresno Falcons
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