The San Diego Gulls are Unstoppable on the Road
Credit: San Diego Gulls
The San Diego Gulls have been impolite this year on the road.
Since December 29 2016, the Gulls are 8-0-0-1 on the road and currently possess one of the longest win streaks in the AHL this season.
It all started in Texas on December 29th. Andrew Welinski, Stefan Noesen, Kalle Kossila, and Jordan Samuels-Thomas all found the back of the net to push the Gulls over the Texas Stars 4-0. Two days later, Keaton Thompson, Noesen, and Chris Wagner would help push the Gulls over the Stars again, but this time in a swift 3-1 victory.
After a short home stint to start the new year, the Gulls headed back out on the road to take on the Rockford IceHogs, during which Nick Sorenson (1) and Brandon Montour (2) knocked the Hogs off the Ice in a 3-2 overtime win. Kevin Roy also played a big part in this win, dishing out two of the three assists in the game, while Kossila had the other.
After spreading their wings and flying to Iowa, the Gulls found themselves pushing the Wild back into the woods with an easy 3-1 win. Montour (1) and Antoine Laganiere (2) were the two players to find the back of the net this game. The Gulls carried that momentum over into San Jose where they drowned the Barracuda in points with a monster 5-1 victory. A handful of names were responsible for this big win, Kossila (2), Scott Sabourin, Sorenson, and Samuels-Thomas all knocked in goals. With Roy, Ryan Garbutt, Wagner, Jeff Schultz, Tyler Morely, Jacob Megna, and Montour all dishing out assists.
The team then flew out to Tuscon for a three-game series. The Gulls came out looking to kill and setting a strong tone in the first game. Corey Tropp was the highlight of the group with two goals in a dominant 8-1 win for the Gulls. That game would roll over into another near-shutout victory where Chris Wagner knocked in the Gulls only two goals in a 2-1 win. The final game would be the shutout the Gulls were looking for all series. Goalie Jhonas Enroth had 22 saves in as many attempts while Tropp, Wagner, and Laganiere did their part to ensure a 3-0 win for the Gulls.
Last night the Gulls took on rival Ontario Reign in their home arena. The thriller got pushed into overtime where, who else but Brandon Montour, would fire in the game winning goal at 2:46 in the extra period to push the Gulls overall record to 22-12-2-2 with 48 points. They now find themselves only six points behind the Reign (54), who sit atop the division.
The Gulls are now winners of four straight, and have won 11 of their last 13 (11-1-0-1). The Gulls have also earned standing points in 23 of their last 30 games (20-7-1-2), helping move them up the ranks. If they keep playing at this pace, the division crown will soon be nothing but a certainty for our San Diego Gulls.
The Gulls come back home tonight for another match up against the Silver and Black and also meet them in four of their last five games to make for an interesting last-minute playoff picture.
Derek is a 22-year-old out of Lemon Grove, California. A burning passion for San Diego sports led him to pursue an opportunity to write and share about what’s going on with the teams in America’s Finest City. A young and aspiring sports journalist looking to grow his knowledge and expand his experience at any opportunity.