Gulls Hold On To 4-3 Win
Published on March 16, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Maybe it's a good thing that Marc Busenburg and Rob Voltera got re-called by the Hershey Bears. If they didn't, Steve Martinson would never have been able to sign Bruce Watson. The Gulls' newcomer got four more points tonight, leading San Diego to a 4-3 victory over the Anchorage Aces Saturday night, before 6,410 at Sullivan Arena.
The Gulls (40-18-4) are now unbeaten in their last eight games (7-0-1), and lead the Bakersfield Condors by five points for second place in the West Coast Hockey League. Bakersfield fell to the Idaho Steelheads, 3-2 tonight at Centennial Garden.
San Diego, coming off a heartbreaking loss yesterday, didn't take long to respond in the first period tonight - 1:12 to be exact. R.J. Enga won an end zone faceoff to Bryan Vines, whose blue line slap shot was tipped in by Watson for his first of the game. Enga then gave the Gulls a 2-0 lead with his 24th goal at 7:12, taking a backhand pass from Clayton Read and roofing a shot over Ryan Person.
Anchorage (19-42-3) cut the lead in half 16 seconds later on Ty Jones' first of the year. Carl Drakensjo sent the puck toward the net and Jones, before barreling into Cris Classen, tipped it home.
The Gulls had three straight power plays in the second period to increase their lead, but couldn't get anything going against some stingy Anchorage defense. The Aces, however, took care of their power play chance late in the middle frame to tie the game, 2-2. Kimbi Daniels, stationed at the left point, whipped a pass to Yvan Corbin, who slid in his first of the night at 18:29.
Read and Watson scored back-to-back goals in the third period to regain San Diego's two-goal lead. Read notched his 19th of the year at 1:32, taking a pass from Watson and backhanding it by Person. Then Watson earned his second of the game - fourth point of the night - at 4:20, busting in a shot from the high slot. The tally came moments after Classen stopped Daniels on a shorthanded breakaway bid.
Corbin drew the Aces back within one with his second of the night at 7:32. Jones muscled his way through the San Diego defense and fired a shot that Classen stopped. The puck caromed to the slot, where Corbin pounced on it and easily potted his league-leading 44th of the year.
The Aces had a golden opportunity to knot the game once again when Trevor Sherban was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding Carl Drakensjo. But Classen and the Gulls' No. 1 penalty killing unit held on to the 4-3 victory.
Notes: San Diego is 32-8-3 since starting the season 8-10-1... Watson has six points (3g, 3a) in his two games for the Gulls... Mark Pederson, who suffered a groin injury yesterday, could be out for a couple of weeks... Trevor Koenig, who sat out tonight, still needs four more wins for 100 in his Gulls career... The Gulls have outscored Anchorage 57-24 this season... Dean Larson, the WCHL all-time leading scorer who's retiring after this season, played his last game at Sullivan Arena tonight. Busenburg and Voltera remain with the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears... Kevin Grant was placed on the 14-day injured list on Thursday... Martin St Amour served the fifth of his seven-game suspension tonight
San Diego's road trip continues Friday in Bakersfield, with game time set for 7 p.m. The Gulls play Saturday, March 22 in Fresno before returning home the next night against the Aces. All games can be heard live on 1130AM-KSDO with Chris Ello calling the play-by-play. The Gulls' Internet radio show broadcasts live every Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on wsradio.com with Tera Black and Jeremy Zager hosting.
ECHL Stories from March 16, 2003
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- Falcons' Winless Streak Grows to Seven - Fresno Falcons
- Bombers End Skid, Silence Cyclones, 5-3 - Dayton Bombers
- IceGators Blank Kingfish, 1-0 - Baton Rouge Kingfish
- $19,500 Raised At Tip-A-Gull - San Diego Gulls
- Condors lose in final minute - Bakersfield Condors
- Cyclones Drop Close One to Bombers - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Florida Takes Three of Four Weekend Points - Florida Everblades
- Ice Pilots Play Home Monday Night vs Jackson at 6:05 PM - Pensacola Ice Pilots
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- All Along the Coast - ECHL
- Larson, Florio Magic Runs Out - Alaska Aces
- Condors Can't Hang On, Lose 3-2 - Bakersfield Condors
- McBain's Goals Not Enough - Fresno Falcons
- Gulls Hold On To 4-3 Win - San Diego Gulls
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