Gulls Bi-Weekly Report 7

Photo: San Diego Gulls

By Thomas Harrington

The San Diego Gulls are on fire. Over the last two weeks, the Gulls played in five games and went 5-0. Overall, San Diego has won eight straight games and has points in 13 straight games. Not that long ago, the Gulls were not playing well and were at the bottom of the AHL standings. They are now one of the top three teams in the Pacific Division and the hottest team in the AHL.

San Diego Edges Bakersfield & San Jose

The Gulls started out the last two weeks with a trip to Bakersfield for a low scoring affair. Matt Berry opened the scoring with his second of the season just a few minutes into the contest. It was 1-0 until late in the second when Bakersfield tied the game. In the third, it looked like the game was heading to overtime, but with just over a minute to go in regulation, Joseph Blandisi scored to make it 2-1 and give the Gulls the win. Following that game, the Gulls returned home to host San Jose. Late in the first, the Barracuda took a 1-0 lead, but Troy Terry tied the game with 12 seconds left in the opening frame. In the second, Adam Cracknell scored the lone goal to give San Diego the lead. Less than two minutes into the third, Terry scored his second of the game to make it 3-1. San Jose responded, but Blandisi restored the two-goal lead a few minutes later. With a second to go in the game, the Barracuda scored one more goal, and San Diego skated off with a 4-3 win.

Holzer Returns In Win Over Reign

San Diego traveled to Ontario to take on the Reign in their next game. With 33 seconds left in the first, Terry made an amazing pass, and Sam Steel gave the Gulls the lead. Just 24 seconds into the second, Max Jones doubled the lead. Ontario got on the board later in the period to make it 2-1. In the third, Sam Carrick scored a few minutes into the period, and Terry scored later in the period to give the Gulls a 4-1 lead. The Gulls then traveled to Stockton for a wild game. Steel made it 1-0 less than two minutes into the game, but the Heat responded soon after. Halfway through the period, Korbinian Holzer, recently returned from offseason surgery, scored his first of the season to make it 2-1. Stockton scored twice late in the period to give them a 3-2 lead. Just minutes into the second, Holzer scored his second of the night, and Cracknell made it 4-3 less than a minute later with a shorthanded goal. However, Stockton tied it before the middle frame was over. In the third, neither team could find the back of the net until Chase De Leo scored with 1:31 left in regulation. 20 seconds later, Carrick made it 6-4, and Blandisi finished the game off with an empty net goal, making it a 7-4 victory for the Gulls.

Gulls Pull Away From Admirals

The Gulls finished off this two-week segment with a trip to Milwaukee. They actually gave up the first goal of the game just over two minutes into the contest, but Terry tied things up just 15 seconds later. Carrick made it 2-1 late in the period. In the second, Milwaukee tied the game about halfway through the period, but Berry scored just 16 seconds later to restore the lead. Cracknell and Jones scored later in the second, and San Diego won 5-2.

Final Thoughts

Over the next two weeks, the Gulls will play six games. They’ll start out by traveling to Iowa, before returning home to face Texas and Bakersfield. The Gulls will then hit the road, with stops in Ontario, San Antonio, and Texas.

Terry and Carrick continue to be San Diego’s best players, and Terry was named to the AHL All-Star Game. Holzer isn’t known for his offense, but in the two games that he’s played in since returning from injury, he has three points. Since arriving in San Diego, Trevor Murphy has really helped to stabilize the Gulls’ blueline and has chipped in with four points in six games.

Not that long ago, it looked like the Gulls had no chance whatsoever to make the playoffs. However, this hot streak has propelled them into the thick of the race in the Western Conference. The trick now is for the Gulls to continue this high level of play. If they can do that, they should have no problem making it to the Calder Cup Playoffs after missing them last year.

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January 14th, 2019