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Gulls Bi-Weekly Report 9

By Thomas Harrington

The San Diego Gulls played five games over the last two weeks, going 3-2. The Gulls have fallen off their insane pace from earlier this year, but that week has them third in the Pacific and in a playoff spot. To maintain it, they’re going to need to continue playing solid hockey, and can’t afford any more losses like their recent loss to Bakersfield.

Gulls Take Two Out of Three At Home

The Gulls started things out with a three-game homestand and hosted the Ontario Reign in the first game. Ontario got on the board early in the first, but Chase De Leo tied the game before the period was over. In the second, the Gulls completely took over this game, as Sam Carrick, Sam Steel, Jack Kopacka, and Matt Berry all scored to make it 5-1. In the third, Steel scored his second of the night to give the Gulls the 6-1 victory. Steel recorded four points in that win, a new career high for him.

In the next game, Iowa traveled to San Diego. In the first, Andy Welinski and Max Jones scored to give the Gulls a 2-0 lead just over five minutes into the game, but Iowa made it 2-1 late in the period. Neither team found the back of the net in the second, but De Leo scored just over a minute into the third to make it 3-1. With the goalie pulled, Steel scored his 12th of the season into the empty net to make it a 4-1 game.

San Diego’s final game of the homestand saw the Ontario return, and they were looking for revenge. Ontario took the 1-0 lead, but Kiefer Sherwood and Sam Carrick responded to make it 2-1 for the Gulls. Ontario then responded with two goals of their own to make it 3-2. All five goals were scored in less than four minutes. In the second, the Reign scored to lone goal to extend their lead to 4-2. Early in the third, Ontario scored to make it 5-2, but Kalle Kossila made it 5-3 about 30 seconds later. The Gulls weren’t able to score again, the Reign finished things off with an empty net goal to make it 6-3.

Gulls Hit The Road

Following that loss, the Gulls traveled to Ontario to take on the Reign again. Corey Tropp and De Leo gave San Diego a 2-0 lead just over four minutes into the game, but Ontario got on the board in the final minute of the first to make it 2-1. In the second, Ontario tied the game and then took the lead in the first 2:13 of the period. Jones tied the game up before the period was half over. In the final frame, Kopacka scored just two minutes into the period, and Tropp and De Leo both scored later in the period to give the Gulls a 6-3 lead. Ontario scored one more time late in the period, and San Diego won 6-4.

The Gulls finished things off with a trip to Bakersfield to take on one of the top teams in the AHL, and the Condors lived up to that billing. The Gulls decided to emulate the Ducks in this game, as they gave up the first goal just over a minute into the game. There was no more scoring in the first, but the game fell apart in the second, where Bakersfield scored five unanswered goals to make it 6-0. In the third, Jeff Glass was pulled and Angus Redmond came in to make his AHL debut. Late in the third, Tropp scored to get the Gulls on the board, but Bakersfield scored again to give them the 7-1 victory. Redmond stopped 12 or 13 shots in his AHL debut.

Upcoming Schedule

The Gulls will play six games over the next two weeks. They’ll start out by traveling to Colorado for a pair of games. San Diego will then travel to San Jose to face the Barracuda for a pair of games. Finally, the Gulls will return home to host Tucson and San Antonio.

Steel has been one of San Diego’s most dangerous forwards over the last couple of weeks, scoring several goals and recording a four-point night. De Leo has been San Diego’s other forward who really stood out over the last couple of weeks. The one player who didn’t stand out was Troy Terry. Over the last five games, he recorded three assists and no goals. He’s hit his first slump in the AHL. Terry is still playing well, but sometimes slumps just happen. I anticipate his return to filling the back of the net with regularity in the near future.

Despite the bad loss to Bakersfield, San Diego is playing well overall. As long as they can continue to keep playing at a consistently high level, they should be back in the playoffs after missing them last year.

Eakins To Remain Head Coach

The Anaheim Ducks did fire head coach Randy Carlyle a few days ago. Dallas Eakins will still remain in San Diego for the remainder of this season.

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