San Diego Continues Homestand Vs. Steelheads

January 6, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


Friday, Jan. 6
SAN DIEGO GULLS (13-12-4) VS. IDAHO STEELHEADS (19-9-2)
Time: 7:35 p.m.
Venue: ipayOne Center
Radio: KLSD (1360AM)
TV: B2 Networks (www.sandiegogulls.com)

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Gulls took two of three games last week in Idaho and look for their third straight win against the Steelheads when the two Northern Conference rivals meet tonight at the ipayOne Center.

SERIES HISTORY:
The Gulls and Steelheads have met three times so far this season with San Diego holding a 2-1-0 series edge. The teams square off three more times during the regular season, all in San Diego.

2005-06 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES:
12/29/05 San Diego 1 @ Idaho 2
12/30/05 San Diego 7 @ Idaho 2
12/31/05 San Diego 5 @ Idaho 1

San Diego owns the all-time series match-up, posting a 43-26-7 record against its Northern Conference rival. The Gulls are 27-8-3 all-time against the Steelheads at the ipayOne Center.

LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING (DEC. 31 @ IDAHO):
The Gulls capped their four-game road trip with their second straight win against the Steelheads, this time earning a 5-1 triumph. Alex Kim netted a short-handed goal, his second in the three-game series, and all-star winger Jesse Bennefield notched two goals. Pierre-Luc Sleigher chipped in with a goal and an assist and netminder Tyler Weiman stopped 36 shots. Weiman had 20 saves alone in the second period.

GULLS UPDATE:
San Diego (13-12-4) enters the day third in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Long Beach Ice Dogs and 10 points back of the front-running Fresno Falcons... The Gulls, however, have two games in hand on the Ice Dogs... San Diego is four points ahead of the fourth-place Bakersfield Condors, but Bakersfield has played four fewer games... San Diego has won two of its last three games and is 12-7-4 in its last 23 games (since getting off to a 1-5-0 start)... During the last four games, the Gulls have killed 29 of 32 penalties (91 percent)... They have scored three short-handed goals during that span, two of them scored by Kim... San Diego is 6-4-3 at home... Including tonight, nine of its next 11 games are at home...

PLAYER NOTES:
Kim is in the midst of a career-high 10-game point streak. He has 18 points (8g, 10a) during that span. He also had a 10-game point streak in 2003-04... Kim has also scored a goal in four-straight games, matching a career high... He leads the team with a +13 and has 25 total points (12g, 13a) in 16 games with the Gulls... Steve Hildenbrand has 24 points (10g, 14a) in the last 19 games... Richard Keyes has 24 points (8g, 16a) in the last 19 games... Jesse Bennefield has 18 points (9g, 9a) and is a +9 in the last 11 games... Weiman has won four of his last five decisions and has stopped 154 of 163 shots in that span (.945 save percentage)... He was named a runner-up for ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors...

IDAHO UPDATE:
Idaho (19-9-2) starts the day third in the West Division with 40 points, tied with the Utah Grizzlies for third place in the West Division. The Steelheads, however, have played two fewer games than Utah... Idaho is nine points behind the second-place Alaska Aces and 11 points back of the first-place Las Vegas Wranglers... The Steelheads have the sixth-most points in the ECHL, tied with Utah, Fresno and Gwinnett... Garrett Bembridge leads the league with 48 points and is tied for the league lead with 25 goals... The Steelheads average the third-most goals per game (4.03) and have the second-best power-play in the league (25.1 percent)... They were only 1-for-25 on the power play during three-game series with San Diego however... Idaho is tied for the third-most road wins in the ECHL (10-3-1)...

TRANSACTIONS:
Darren Partch and Kelly Askew were signed today, while Jason Courtemanche and Justin Silver were released yesterday... David Svagrovsky was placed on seven-day IR Wednesday with a tear in his finger... Frantisek Skladany, who began the season with the Gulls, was called up to the NHL's Colorado Avalanche Tuesday. He had been playing with the American Hockey League's Lowell Lock Monsters... Cody McLeod was recalled by Lowell Tuesday... Martin Mandeville was placed on the seven-day injured list Saturday with concussion-like symptoms... Doug MacIver (knee), Andy Thompson (wrist) and Guillaume Fournier (concussion) all remain on the injured list...

FUTURE HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETINGS (3H, 0A):
Saturday, April 1 vs. Idaho (7:05 p.m.)
Sunday, April 2 vs. Idaho (5:05 p.m.)
Wednesday, April 5 vs. Idaho (7:05 p.m.)



ECHL Stories from January 6, 2006


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