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Gulls Unbeaten in Eight, Gain More Ground on Bakersfield

March 17, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


SAN DIEGO -- Life can be great for teams who control their own destiny - as long as they keep winning. The San Diego Gulls have ripped off an eight-game unbeaten streak, highlighted by wins over the Idaho Steelheads and Anchorage Aces last week, and gain another big step in clinching home-ice advantage in round one of the Taylor Cup Playoffs.

San Diego gained five points in three games last week (2-0-1), while the Bakersfield Condors (35-20-9) lost two of three. So with 10 games to go, the Gulls (40-18-4) lead the Condors, who have eight games left, by five points for second place in the West Coast Hockey League. In those 10 games, San Diego needs 12 points to officially clinch the second seed. And that's if Bakersfield wins out the rest of its games.

NOTES: Newcomer Bruce Watson has six points (4g, 2a) since joining the team in Anchorage over the weekend... The Gulls are 32-8-3 since starting the season 8-10-1... Trevor Koenig needs four more wins for 100 in his Gulls career... Mark Pederson suffered a groin injury Friday night and may not return until the playoffs begin...

TRANSACTIONS: R.J Enga was activated from injured reserve... Ashlee Langdone, still bothered by a concussion, was placed on the season-ending injured list (joining Mike McGhan, Dennis Mullen and Joe Bianchi)... Jamie Miller, who spent the majority of this season in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, was signed... Bryan Vines was acquired from the Long Beach Ice Dogs in exchange for Trent Clark... Robb Wismer and Watson were claimed off waivers... The American Hockey League's Hershey Bears recalled Marc Busenburg and Rob Voltera... Kevin Grant was placed on the 14-day injured reserve list...

COMMUNITY UPDATE: March 12: McGhan, Ronald McDonald and Ronald McDonald House Charities Development Director Ted Cox took part in Fox's (Channel 6) morning show, promoting the final two "McDonald's Nights." - March 23 and April 6.

This Wednesday: Dan Cousineau and Sandro Sbrocca will practice with the San Diego Wolverines bantam travel team at the San Diego Ice Arena in Mira Mesa. Before practice, Cousineau and Sbrocca will give a locker room talk to the 13- and 14-year-olds about the importance of team unity and determination off the ice.

RECAP:

Steelheads 1 @ GULLS 4: Wednesday, March 12: In what may be a preview of this season's Taylor Cup Finals, the Gulls sent the first place Steelheads a message with the three-goal win. San Diego went ahead 2-0 before Idaho got on the board early in the second period. The Blue and Orange rebounded with two more goals in the second and cruised from there.

Gulls 3 @ ACES 4 (SO): Friday, March 14: San Diego was 4.8 seconds away from winning its seventh straight but Ryan Moren's second goal of the game tied it and Valdemar Pelikovsky's goal in the sixth round of the shootout won it. The Gulls had three one-goal leads, but the Aces came back every time. In the shootout period, Anchorage beat San Diego 2-1.

GULLS 4 @ Aces 3: Saturday, March 15: Watson, who notched his first two goals the previous night, came back with four more points Saturday (2g, 2a), leading San Diego to a hard-fought win. The Gulls were up 2-0, before Anchorage came back to tie it. Then San Diego grabbed a 4-2 lead before the Aces drew within one midway through the third. But unlike Friday night, the Gulls held onto the lead - barely - to skate home winners.

THIS WEEK:

The Gulls finish their road trip with games this weekend against the Condors and the Fresno Falcons. Game time from Bakersfield's Centennial Garden is at 7 p.m. Friday. Saturday's game from Selland Arena is set for 7:30 p.m. San Diego returns home Sunday to face the Aces at 5 p.m. It will be the fifth of six "McDonald's Nights" with "Skate with the Gulls" and Ronald McDonald after the game. Gulls kids retro jerseys will be given to the first 2,000 fans 14 and under. 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.

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