Gulls Roll Condors, 7-2

December 28, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


SAN DIEGO -- Clayton Read bagged his first hat trick of his career leading the San Diego Gulls to a 7-2 thumping of the Bakersfield Condors Friday night, before 6,075 at the San Diego Sports Arena. San Diego has now won nine straight and pull within two points of the Condors for second place in the West Coast Hockey League.

The Gulls (17-10-1) lit the lamp first 8:28 into the opening frame on Dennis Mullen's second goal of the season. Ashlee Langdone fed Mullen whose wrist shot from the top of the circle squeaked through Fredrik Jensen's pads.

Bakersfield (16-9-5) tied the game 17 seconds into the second period on Shawn Byram's eighth tally. Langdone's clearing attempt around the San Diego net took a bad hop and caromed right to Jason Ralph, who quickly threw a back-hander at the net. Trevor Koenig made the save, but left a rebound right on the tape of Byram, who flipped it in top-shelf. It was only the second goal Koenig has allowed in 233:16.

The Blue and Orange then exploded with six goals to take a commanding 7-1 lead. Read started the barrage with a power-play goal at 4:12 of the middle stanza. Dean Tiltgen took a feed from Mark Pederson and fed a pass across the crease to a wide-open Read, who buried his first of the night. R.J. Enga followed 73 seconds later with his 13th of the season. Similar to Read's goal, Enga found himself open on the doorstep and easily flicked the puck over Jensen.

Mike McGhan then banged in his third goal of the season at 7:20. Tiltgen grabbed the puck after Jamie Black's shot from the point and found McGhan, again wide open in front of Jensen. Cory Cyrenne continued the barrage with a short-handed breakaway goal at 8:37 - his fifth marker of the campaign.

But the Gulls weren't done in the second, as Read potted two more to complete his first hat trick. He got his second of game at 16:05 capitalizing on a rebound in front of the net. He got his third - ninth of the season - on a pretty wrap-around play, with Jensen sprawled on the other side of the net.

The Condors got a concession goal six minutes into the third period on Jamie Cooke's 10th of the year. Cooke walked around Black and beat Cris Classen, who came in for Koenig at the beginning of the period.

Notes: The Gulls have out-scored their opponents 43-12 during their nine-game run... San Diego had six players finish with multipoint games, including three-point nights by Read, Tiltgen and Pederson... Koenig is 8-0 with a 1.04 goals against average over his last eight games... Pederson and Tiltgen each extended their point streaks to seven games... Pederson has 16 points in the last eight games... Tiltgen has 12 points during his last seven games... Enga needs to play in the Gulls' next five games to reach 500 straight in his pro career... Dennis Purdie was placed on the 14-day injured list, retroactive to Wednesday, with a shoulder injury... Mike Garrow remains with the American Hockey League's Utah Grizzlies... Marc Busenburg and Rob Voltera remain with the AHL's Hershey Bears...

San Diego continues its longest homestand of the year Sunday against the Long Beach Ice Dogs at 5 p.m. Gulls kids jerseys, courtesy of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, will be given to the first 2,000 fans 14 and under. "Skate with the Gulls" will be held immediately following the game, which will also be televised live on Cox/Time Warner Channel 4. All games can be heard live on 1130AM-KSDO and at www.ksdo.com 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 December 28, 2002


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