Winning Streak Over; Pensacola Wins, 4-3
January 23, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
SAN DIEGO â The San Diego Gulls closed out the first half of the regular season Saturday night, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Pensacola Ice Pilots, before 8,245 at the Sports Arena. The loss ended San Diego's season-high six-game winning streak.
It was just one night ago when the Gulls rallied in the third period to defeat the Las Vegas Wranglers. This time, however, they let a third-period lead slip away, as the Ice Pilots netted three straight in the final frame, which included one power-play and one short-handed goal.
With the loss, San Diego (21-12-4) losses ground in the West Division, now sitting nine points out of first place and moving into a third-place tie with the Alaska Aces. Pensacola (23-11-4) remains first in the South Division, now four points ahead of the Florida Everblades.
The Gulls, who scored five times on the man advantage Friday night, opened the scoring Saturday with another power-play marker, 13:32 into the first period. After Nikita Korovkin's initial shot caromed wide, Brian Gornick stole the puck behind the net and fed a wide-open Brown, standing right in front of the crease. The NHL veteran hesitated for a moment, then flicked it past Pensacola goaltender Todd Ford.
Gornick gave San Diego a 2-0 cushion 8:54 into the second period on his team-leading 16th goal, 12 of which have come in the last 17 games. Driving down the right wing, Gornick took a drop pass from Colin Shields and punched a shot toward the net. It looked as if the puck was going wide, but it ricocheted into the net off Pensacola defenseman Ryan Stokes' skate. Sylvain Deschatelets also garnered an assist on the play.
The Ice Pilots cut the Gulls' lead in half at the 14:54 mark of the second, as Jason Beckett beat San Diego netminder Trevor Koenig, making his first appearance since Dec. 20. Aaron Phillips started the play when he won an endzone faceoff back to Aaron Gionet, standing at the right point. Gionet then shifted the puck to fellow defenseman Beckett, who wound up and blasted a slapper past a screened Koenig.
Pensacola's Jordan Krestanovich made it a 2-2 game with a power-play goal 4:56 into the third period, beating Koenig with a rising wrist shot from the right faceoff circle. ECHL All-Star Corey Nielson held the puck in at the left point before dumping it to Dwayne Hay, who found an open Krestanovich.
Hay then gave the Ice Pilots a 3-2 lead with a short-handed tally at 8:59. Tyler Beechey, who entered the day as the ECHL's second-leading scorer, stole the puck at center ice and dished the puck to Hay. The Pensacola forward, all alone in front of Koenig, did the rest, scoring on the mini breakaway.
Ryan O'Keefe scored what proved to be the game-winner at 13:56, beating Koenig with another wrister, this time from the left circle. After taking a feed from Krestanovich, O'Keefe busted down the wing and fired a shot that sailed over Koenig's out-stretched glove.
O'Keefe's goal proved large for the Ice Pilots because San Diego's Evgueni Nourislamov cut the lead back to one at 19:15, grabbing Brown's pass from behind the net and beating Ford at point-blank range. The Gulls' comeback would end there however, as Pensacola held the fort from there.
Notes: The Gulls outscored their opponents 25-15 during their six-game winning streak... They are 14-4-2 at home this season... Deschatelets is now in the midst of an eight-game point streak (4g, 10a)... Gornick has 18 points in his last 17 games (12g, 6a)... Brown has 14 points (3g, 11a) in his last 10 games... San Diego is 6-1-0 at home when trailing after two periods and 6-2-1 when leading after two periods... ECHL All-Star Andrew Canzanello was re-called by the American Hockey League's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks Friday... Mathieu Chouinard (sore groin) and Max Birbraer (sprained shoulder) were both placed on the seven-day injured list Friday... Fournier and Koenig were both activated from injured reserve Friday... Jonathon Shockey, recovering from a separated shoulder, and Sean Murphy, recovering from a broken thumb, both remain on 30-day injured reserve...
The 2005 Coors Light ECHL All-Star Game, which takes place Wednesday in Reading, Pa., will be televised live on Ch. 4 San Diego, starting at 4 p.m. (PST). After the All-Star break, the Gulls will embark on a seven-game eastern road trip, which starts Friday in Peoria, Ill. at 5:30 p.m. (PST). During the seven-game trek, San Diego will play five teams in 10 nights.
All games can be heard live on KLSD 1360AM and www.sandiegogulls.com with Chris Ello calling the play-by-play. All home games and many road games can be viewed on the Gulls' web site, courtesy of B2 Networks. Click the B2 Networks link on the home page for a list of the upcoming telecasted games. To view pictures from this season, visit www.sdgullsphotos.com and www.zerodogentertainment.com.
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