Gulls - Steelheads Game Preview

Published on January 30, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


SAN DIEGO – The first-place San Diego Gulls look to run their winning streak to a season-high eight games when they take on the second-place Idaho Steelheads tonight at the Sports Arena.

The Gulls, who've also won nine straight at home, enter the day five points ahead of the Steelheads for the top spot in the Pacific Division. San Diego is only one point behind the Louisiana IceGators and Mississippi Sea Wolves for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and only three points back of the Wheeling Nailers for the best record in the ECHL.

Mark Pederson continues to grab all the headlines for the Blue and Orange. The veteran left-winger is now riding a 16-game point streak, the longest in the ECHL this season. He's racked up 27 points (18g, 9a) during that stretch and currently leads the league with 29 goals, 27 of which have come in the last 30 games.

And as Pederson goes, so do his linemates Greg Barber and Sylvain Deschatelets, who have combined for 50 points (20g, 30a) in the last 11 games. Barber has notched a point in a career-high nine consecutive contests, six of which have been multipoint games. The Gulls' all-star has 18 points (6g, 12a) in his last 11 games and ranks fourth among all ECHL rookies with 39 points overall. Deschatelets meanwhile has 27 points (5g, 22a) in his last 16 games and leads the club with 29 helpers.

The offense has been clicking for the Gulls, but you can't forget the defense, which now ranks third in the league in fewest goals allowed. The penalty kill has spearheaded the defense prowess, having allowed only 13 power play goals in the last 134 short-handed chances.

Any mention of San Diego's stingy defense must include the play of Trevor Koenig, who enters the day tied for the third-most wins in the ECHL (20). Koenig is seventh in the league with a 2.30 goals-against average and is tied for second with three shutouts. The Gulls netminder has allowed only five goals over his last four starts.

The Steelheads, who owned the top spot in the Pacific Division one week ago, are winless in four of their last five games (1-2-2) and have fallen into second place, five points behind the Gulls and one point ahead of the third-place Las Vegas Wranglers.

Idaho is 0-4 against San Diego this season, having been outscored 20-8. The Steelheads have allowed 11 power-play goals to the Gulls in 27 chances, while only scoring once with the man advantage in 20 chances. They've allowed an ECHL-high 11 short-handed goals this season.

Jan Kopecky leads the club with 19 goals and 36 points. Defenseman David Cornacchia, who's spent time with the American Hockey League's Utah Grizzlies this season, is second on the team with 29 points. No. 1 goaltender Blair Allison comes in with a 12-5-3 record and 2.52 GAA.

The two teams will clash five more times in the regular season, all in Boise, Idaho.

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ECHL Stories from January 30, 2004


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