Gulls Top Steelheads, 4-2

March 26, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


BOISE, Idaho – The playoff push continued for the Gulls Friday night as they picked up two more points in the race for the number one seed in the Western Conference by doubling-up the Idaho Steelheads, 4-2. Clayton Read netted two goals and Evgueny Nourislamov tallied three points (0g, 3a) in the win, which pulled San Diego to within two points of the best overall record in the ECHL.

The San Diego offense was clicking on all cylinders as they twice converted on power plays and collected multi-point games from four different players. Read led they way with two goals, including the game-winner, and with the exception of one 90-second span during the waning minutes of the second period goalie Trevor Koenig was unbeatable, helping the Gulls to close in on clinching the Pacific Division.

San Diego (44-13-10) now needs just three points in its final five games to lock up the division. The Blue and Orange also move four points ahead of the Louisiana IceGators for the top spot in the Western Conference and need just five more points to clinch home-ice throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. The ECHL's top team, the Wheeling Nailers, lost at home to Johnstown tonight, meaning San Diego is now just two points out of the top spot in the league. Idaho (38-20-8) remains four points behind Las Vegas for second place in the Pacific Division.

The Gulls grabbed the early lead on Brian Gornick's fifth goal of the season, 11:46 into the first. Penalties to Idaho's Lance Galbraith and Jeff Bateman gave San Diego a brief two-man advantage, but the Gulls were unable to cash in. With just four seconds remaining in the latter penalty, however, Samy Nasreddine launched a slapshot from the point that Gornick redirected past Steelheads netminder Blair Allison for the power-play goal.

Gornick was at it again, 1:56 into the second, maneuvering the puck through traffic and rocketing a slapshot from the high slot. The shot drew Allison out of position, bouncing off the right post and caroming back to Read, who tapped the rebound home for the easy goal. The tally was the 13th of the year for Read and put San Diego up, 2-0.

The Gulls looked to continue adding to their lead when Andrei Vasilyev was sent to the box for holding at the 15:13 mark of the second. The advantage, however, was all Idaho's. Dylan Gyori picked up the puck after a San Diego turnover and skated into the Gulls zone on a two-on-one with Bateman. Gyori faked a slapshot from the point that froze San Diego's lone defender, Kevin Grant, and pulled Koenig out of position, before shuffling the puck to Bateman who knocked home the easy score, 15:55 into the frame.

The Steelheads were back at it just 85 seconds later, taking advantage of a costly mistake by Koenig. The Gulls' netminder attempted to play an Idaho clearing pass behind his own net, mistakenly sliding the puck right to the stick of Galbraith, who quickly converted for the unassisted tally.

Idaho continued to send players to the box to start the third, putting the Gulls on the power play for the fifth time in the game after a Mike Sgroi slashing penalty. This time San Diego converted with the man advantage when Read netted his second tally of the night, redirecting a Nasreddine shot past Allison to put the Gulls back on top, 3-2. Nourislamov also garnered an assist on the play, his third of the game.

The Gulls hung tough for the remainder of the third until Allison left the ice to give Idaho the extra attacker. The Steelheads battled for the puck in the Gulls zone for much of the game's final minute before Sylvain Deschatelets launched a shot the length of the ice, tallying an empty-net goal to end the game's suspense and continue his point-scoring streak, now at an ECHL season-high 21 games.



ECHL Stories from March 26, 2004


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