Gulls-Long Beach preview

March 1, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


Wednesday, March 1

SAN DIEGO GULLS (24-23-5) VS. LONG BEACH ICE DOGS (30-18-6)

Time: 7:05 p.m.

Venue: ipayOne Center

Radio: KLSD (1360AM)

TV: B2 Networks (www.sandiegogulls.com)

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Gulls look to extend their season-high win streak to five games and grab sole possession of third place in the Pacific Division when they host the Long Beach Ice Dogs Wednesday. Long Beach has won 11 of its last 13 road games.

SERIES HISTORY:

The Gulls and Ice Dogs have met four times this season with Long Beach holding a 3-1-1 series edge. The two teams will square off three more times during the regular season, two of which will be in Long Beach.

2005-06 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES:

11/2/05 San Diego 0 @ Long Beach 5

11/25/05 Long Beach 2 @ San Diego 4

12/16/05 Long Beach 3 @ San Diego 1

1/21/06 San Diego 3 @ Long Beach 2 (OT)

2/4/06 San Diego 2 @ Long Beach 3

San Diego owns the all-time series match-up, posting a 43-16-2 record against its Pacific Division rival. The Gulls are 24-5-1 all-time against the Ice Dogs at the ipayOne Center. San Diego is unbeaten in 30 of its last 36 head-to-head meetings against Long Beach (29-6-1), dating back to October 2002...

LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING (FEB. 4 @ LONG BEACH):

Long Beach netminder Greg Hewitt made 29 saves, while Mike Woodford and David Walker each notched two points, leading the Ice Dogs to a 3-2 victory. The Ice Dogs actually out-shot San Diego 41-31, but Hewitt stole the show, stopping the Gulls on three breakaways, one of which included a penalty shot. Woodford gave Long Beach 1-0 lead 14:03 into the first period before Rob Flynn tied it 34 seconds later. Sean McAslan answered with a power-play marker later in the first and Blake Robson made it a 3-1 lead midway through the third period. Former Gull Martin Mandeville pulled San Diego to within one late in the final frame, but it wasn't enough. Tom Lawson made 38 saves for San Diego, but suffered the hard-luck loss.

GULLS UPDATE:

San Diego (24-23-5) enters the day with 53 points, tied for third in the Pacific Division with the Bakersfield Condors. Bakersfield, however, has played three fewer games... The Gulls are 26 points ahead of the Stockton Thunder for the final playoff spot in the division... San Diego has won a season-high four straight games and five of its last six... Out of its last 14 games, 10 have been decided by one goal... The Gulls have killed 96 of 106 penalties in the last 18 games (90.6 percent) and have scored a power-play goal in six of its last seven games... San Diego is 13-8-4 at home this season...

PLAYER NOTES:

Jesse Bennefield has 14 points (5g, 9a) in his last nine games. His 24 goals leads the Gulls and is tied for third among ECHL rookies... Steve Hildenbrand has 14 points (6g, 8a) in the last nine games... Mark Wires has nine points (3g, 6a) in the last five games and was named runner-up for ECHL Player of the Week honors... The trio has combined for 15 points in the last two games (5g, 10a)... Lawson has won his last three starts, stopping 96 of 98 shots (.980 save percentage). He has also turned aside 382 of 412 shots in his last 12 games (.927 save percentage)... Five regulars still remain out of the lineup with injuries (Guillaume Fournier - concussion, Richard Keyes - groin, Alex Kim - collar bone, Kelly Askew - broken ankle and Alex Rogosheske - torn ACL)...

LONG BEACH UPDATE:

Long Beach (30-18-6) starts the day with 66 points, six behind the front-running Fresno Falcons and 13 ahead of the third-place Gulls and Condors... The Ice Dogs can clinch a playoff spot with a win or overtime/shootout loss tonight - their magic number to clinch is one (a combination of one point earned or one point lost by Stockton)... Long Beach is unbeaten in regulation in 18 of its last 21 games overall (16-3-2) and 12 of its last 13 road games (11-1-1)... Hewitt is 2-0-1 against San Diego this season, with a 1.95 goals-against average and .925 save percentage... In five head-to-head meetings this season, the Ice Dogs have killed 25 of 27 penalties (93 percent)...

TRANSACTIONS:

Mandeville was traded to Columbia Monday, completing the Chris Cava-Jason Reimers deal... Chad Wagner and Taj Melson were both released Sunday... Tyler Weiman was re-assigned from Lowell of the American Hockey League, while Dennis Shiryaev was acquired from Bakersfield Sunday... Aaron McKenzie was placed on the injured list, while R.J. Enga was activated from IR Sunday... Rookie forward Josh Newton signed Saturday... Keyes, Fournier, Kim and Rogosheske remain on the 30-day IR... David Svagrovsky remains with Lowell...

FUTURE HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETINGS (1H, 2A):

Saturday, Mar. 11 @ LBH (7 p.m.)

Friday, Mar. 24 vs. LBH (7:35 p.m.)

Sunday, Mar. 26 @ LBH (5 p.m.)



ECHL Stories from March 1, 2006


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