Game 50: San Diego vs Tuscon Roadrunners – Feb 20

The Gulls were convincing in finally getting revenge on their division rivals.

With the new addition of Patrick Eaves who had cleared waivers earlier that day the Gulls forward core was juggled yet again, Scott Moldenhauer was called up from the ECHL and inserted into the line up, paired with Benoit. Boyle, Jones, Terry, Megna and Welinski were still up with the Ducks so Jeff Glass started his seventh straight game. Matt Berry was also returned to the line up after spending the last two games as a healthy scratch.

It took San Diego just over a minute and a half to get on the board through Jack Kopacka winning a puck battle and throwing the puck to the front of the net where Kalle Kossila coralled and swung around a low shot that Aidin Hill stopped but the rebound spurted out to Adam Cracknell for the easy finish.

The Gulls had two more grade A chances but could not convert – both by forcing the pass when a shot should have likely been taken, but the last opportunity from Kossila and Cracknell resulted in a power play.

A poor turnover from Kevin Roy at the blue line lead to a shorthanded breakaway for Tuscon, Jeff Glass came out to challenge but could not prevent yet another shorthanded goal – the Gulls 11th and third worst in the league.

Roy almost made up for the blunder a minute later when he had a chance to collect a rebound and lift it over the sprawling Hill’s right pad but he shanked it high over the net.

Tuscon followed that up with a flurry of opportunities on Glass who looked like a marrionette as he struggled to fend of shot after rebound after shot until Kevin Roy carried the puck out of the zone on a 2 on 1 with Berry, Hill was able to stop the opportunity but the visitors took a penalty on the play.

It looked like the Gulls might be luckless on this opportunity too until Sam Carrick decided to take a zone entry all the way to the net and putting it by Hill to retake the lead.

Scott Moldenhauer incurred a make up tripping call on the next shift and the Gull set about killing the minor. Breaking up the Road Runners first zone entry the unit then proceeded to play keepaway until the Road Runners could regain possession and attempted again with a dump in, this was intercepted by Larsson who fed a speeding Sam Steel up ice. Steel made it look like he would deek Hill but sent a perfect high shot over his shoulder for the 3-1 lead and revenge shorthanded tally.

The middle frame wasnt quite as frenetic as the first as both teams settled into a rythmn and established a slightly better defensive formation.

San Diego did generate some good chances with good passing and speed but again could not convert until a three on one rush lead by Kossila that the Finnish center caught Hill looking to play the pass on and put it by him for the 4-1 lead.

Tuscon did all they could to get something going, but they were over-matched by both the Gulls speed and size and San Diego kept things going when Ben Thomson out-muscled two Roadrunners down low to force a loose puck in front that Chase De Leo immediately one-touched to Kiefer Sherwood for the slam dunk.

The Gulls came out flat to start the third and a second straight turnover when attempting to clear their zone ended in the back of their net as Tucson sent a shot from the point that Glass – again with poor rebound control – spat out a rebound that Gregiore converted to bring the visitors back to 5-2.

Thankfully San Diego woke up and prevented any further major opportunities for the Roadrunners and when the visitors did get the odd good chance, Glass was there to stop them.

San Diego had the run of play for the remainder of the game while the Refs put their whistles away, missing call after blatant call.

Never the less the Gulls came away with the win, their first against the Road Runners in over a year.