Mole's 44 Saves Leads Gulls To 3-1 Win In Vegas
March 31, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
LAS VEGAS - The San Diego Gulls did something Friday that they haven't been able to do yet this season... win in Las Vegas. Michael Mole stopped 44 of 45 shots and three different scorers tickled the twine, leading the Gulls to a 3-1 victory at the Orleans Arena.
San Diego (33-28-6) has now won five of its last six games and moves five games over .500 for the first time this season. Las Vegas (50-13-6), in a first place battle with the Alaska Aces in the West Division, drops only its fifth home game in regulation this season.
Jesse Bennefield gave the Gulls a 1-0 lead 15:39 into the first period with his team-leading 29th goal. After taking a feed from Steve Hildenbrand, Bennefield busted into the Wranglers zone and squeezed a back-hander behind goaltender Marc Magliarditi.
Las Vegas out-shot San Diego 11-6 in the opening period, but couldn't solve Mole. The Gulls netminder entered the game with a 1-3-0 record against the Wranglers, but had a 2.49 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.
Mole continued his stingy play between the pipes in the second period, stopping all 16 Vegas shots. And his teammates rewarded him with a 2-0 lead at the 11:47 mark when Pierre-Luc Sleigher knocked in his 21st of the year. Rookie Mark Adamek grabbed a pass at the point from fellow rookie Erik Johnson and ripped a slapper that Magliarditi stopped. He couldn't control the rebound, however, and Sleigher was right there to bury it from the left circle.
The Wranglers finally got one past Mole 6:40 into the third period on a Charles Linglet power-play goal. After Mole stopped bids by Chris Kenady and Christian Chartier, Linglet grabbed the puck in the right circle and rifled it home. It was his fourth goal in 13 games with Vegas this season.
Steve Hildenbrand, however, regained San Diego's two-goal lead at 13:31, one-timing in J.F. Soucy's pass. As he was skating to the slot Hildenbrand was being whacked from behind, but was still able to get enough mustard on it to beat Magliarditi for his 27th goal.
Notes: San Diego is now unbeaten in 14 of its last 19 games (13-5-1)... The Gulls have allowed 31 power plays in the last three games, including five Friday... San Diego finished the season series against the Wranglers with a 2-5-0 record, but won the last two by combined scores of 4-1... Alex Kim was loaned to the American Hockey League's Portland Pirates Thursday... Johnson was activated Friday... Mark Wires missed his fifth straight game due to immigration paperwork issues...
San Diego opens its final homestand of the regular season Saturday against the Idaho Steelheads at 7:05 p.m. It will be Fan Appreciation Night and the first 8,000 fans will get a Gulls visor, courtesy of Flowers and Suder Vision Institute. San Diego and Idaho will meet again Sunday at 5:05 p.m. and Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Sunday will be the last Kids Night of the season and last chance to "Skate with the Gulls" after the game.
All games can be heard on KLSD 1360AM and www.sandiegogulls.com with Chris Ello calling the play-by-play. All remaining games can also be viewed on the Gulls' web site, courtesy of B2 Networks. Click the B2 Networks (Watch the Game Live) link on the home page for a list of the upcoming viewable games. To view pictures from this season, visit www.zerodogentertainment.com.
ECHL Stories from March 31, 2006
- Condors take Second Straight Game from Grizzlies, 3-2 - Utah Grizzlies
- McConvey Leads The Way As Steelheads Hammer Ice Dogs, 5-1 - Idaho Steelheads
- Gulls' Goalie Michael Mole Makes 44 Saves In Win - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Mole's 44 Saves Leads Gulls To 3-1 Win In Vegas - San Diego Gulls
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- Lynx smite Gladiators - Augusta Lynx
- Bombers fall 5-2 despite outshooting Chiefs, 44-21 - Dayton Bombers
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- Gladiators Bitten by Lynx, 6-2 - Atlanta Gladiators
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- Royals' T.J. Kemp Makes Fourth Trip To AHL - Reading Royals
- Eberle Honored For ECHL Officiating Career - ECHL
- Rypien out for season, Bombers sign forward - Dayton Bombers
- ECHL Today - ECHL
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