Utah Comes From Behind To Nip Gulls, 5-4
Published on February 23, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
SAN DIEGO - Ryan Kinasewich and Colt King each had a goal and two assists, leading the Utah Grizzlies to a come-from-behind 5-4 win against the San Diego Gulls Wednesday at the ipayOne Center.
San Diego (20-23-5) had a 4-2 lead after the first period, but was kept off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Utah (30-20-4) scored three unanswered goals, capped by Chad Starling's game-winner 2:30 into the third.
Mark Wires (2g, 1a) and Jesse Bennefield (three assists), each had three-point nights for the Gulls, who have now lost seven of their last eight games. The Grizzlies have now won eight of their last nine games.
Offense was the name of the game in the first period, as teams combined for six goals. San Diego got four of the goals, thanks to a pair of tallies from Wires and one each from Patrick Levesque and Taj Melson, who signed Tuesday and has now played parts of eight seasons with the Gulls. Bennefield assisted on three of the first-period scores.
Utah drew first blood at 1:33 when King slammed home his 18th goal, connecting on a centering feed from Kris Kasper behind the net. San Diego then scored three straight to take a 3-1 lead.
Levesque got his third of the season at 11:48, converting on a rebound off Jason Reimers' original bid from the slot. Melson came calling at the 13:00 mark when he slipped a shot past a sprawled Alfie Michaud. Wires then notched his first of the night with a power-play goal at 14:14, potting a rebound from Melson's point shot.
The Grizzlies cut the deficit to one when Matt Craig beat Tom Lawson on a breakaway at 15:13. Wires, however, answered with his second of the game at 19:09 after a nice fore-checking play that eventually saw him beat Michaud on the backhand.
Utah lit the lamp two more times in the second period, knotting the score at 4-4. Craig notched his second of the night - 24th of the season - 2:48 into the frame, partnering with Kinasewich on a two-on-one. Kinasewich, who also assisted on Craig's first goal, knocked in a power-play marker at 8:26 for his 28th goal overall and third point of the game.
Starling cashed in the Grizzlies' third straight goal and the difference-maker 2:30 period with a shot from the left point that sailed past a screened Lawson. It was his third goal of the year. King, also helping on Kinasewich's goal, earned an assist on the play for this third point.
Notes: Former fan-favorites Chad Wagner and Melson were both signed to fill in this week. Wagner is the Gulls' all-time leader with 1,969 penalty minutes. Melson is third among Gulls defensemen all-time with 163 points... Eight of San Diego's last 10 games have been decided by one goal... The Gulls are 12-8-4 at home this season.... Guillaume Fournier, Alex Kim, Alex Rogosheske and Kelly Askew all remain out of the lineup...
San Diego hits the road briefly for a Friday night contest against the Phoenix Roadrunners. Game-time is 6:11 p.m. (PST), but will begin airing on KLSD 1360AM at 7 p.m. (PST). The Gulls are back home Saturday against the Grizzlies at 7:05 p.m. It will be the inaugural "Pink in the Rink" night, benefiting the Mary Kay Ash Foundation. Caltrans and Verizon Yellow Pages are presenting the night, which also features the ever-popular long-sleeved T-shirt giveaway for the first 8,000 fans. The Gulls will also be sporting special pink Mary Kay Ash jerseys for the game, which will be auctioned LIVE immediately afterwards. San Diego ends its busy week Sunday in Stockton.
All games can be heard on KLSD 1360AM and www.sandiegogulls.com with Chris Ello calling the play-by-play. Most 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 February 23, 2006
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- NHL Network ECHL Game Of The Week Is Wheeling At Toledo - ECHL
- Labell Assigned From Hershey - South Carolina Stingrays
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Grizz Get Back On Track In San Diego - Utah Grizzlies
- Thunder ties game with 1.1 left, succumbs in 5-4 overtime loss - Stockton Thunder
- Utah Comes From Behind To Nip Gulls, 5-4 - San Diego Gulls
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