Short-Handed Goal Helps Eagles Tip Gulls

The hope of the moment chipped away slowly at first, then the wall came tumbling down.

What should have been the most productive five minutes of the Gulls’ Sunday night generated nothing but the winning goal for Salt Lake, who took a 4-2 International Hockey League victory from the Gulls in front of 4,283 at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Power-play efficiency has been a strong suit for the sporadic Gulls all season, but they let a five-minute advantage go to waste Sunday.

At the same moment--10:44--the Gulls tied the score at 2-all in the third period, Salt Lake’s Kevin Grant was tagged with a five-minute major penalty for attempting to injure Mike Gober.

The Gulls had wasted 3:19 of the opportunity before right wing Taylor Hall lost control of the puck as he tried to get out of the Eagles’ zone.

Andrew McKim stole the puck inside the blue line and put it past goalie Glen Hanlon for the 3-2 lead.

“That sometimes happens,” Gulls Coach Mike O’Connell said. “We were on the power play, and we were pressing. It was unfortunate, but we didn’t spot the guy the way we’re supposed to on a play like that.”

Said Clark Donatelli: “It wasn’t there tonight. Who knows, we could come back the next game and go five-for five. They just didn’t go in tonight.”

The Gulls didn’t even get a shot on goal until there were just 42 seconds left of the power play.

With 20 seconds left in the game and the Gulls’ net empty, Martin Simard was awarded Salt Lake’s final goal when Clark Donatelli kicked the stick from his hand to stop a breakaway.

“I didn’t know what the rule was,” Donatelli said. “I figured they were going to get the goal anyway.”

Defenseman Derek Mayer continued his offensive punch with a second-period goal that narrowed the margin to 2-1. It was the only point of the period.

When a short shot by Darren Lowe richocheted off goalie Steve Guenette’s pads, Mayer capitalized and took a high swing from outside the right circle, and the puck danced over Guenette’s shoulder.

For the second consecutive game, the Gulls’ scoring line of Donatelli, center Larry Floyd and right wing Brent Sapergia was shut down.

Floyd was assisted off the ice at 3:15 in the third period with a cut to the right eye after puck bounced up and hit him.

The Gulls allowed Salt Lake to scored twice for a 2-0 lead after one period.

At 15:45, Hanlon anticipated that C.J. Young, skating in from the right circle, would circle behind the net. Instead, he was beaten easily when Young quickly tapped the puck in from outside the crease for the second goal.

Ken Sabourin scored first for the Eagles.

Dennis Holland evened the game at 2-all on the power play at 10:44 in the third.