Mayer Leads Soaring Gulls Over Albany

Sparked by red-hot defenseman Derek Mayer, the Gulls defeated the Albany Choppers, 4-2, Friday in the final of three-consecutive International Hockey League games against the Choppers.

The Gulls, who had split two games with the Albany earlier in the week, overcame a one-goal deficit in the second period to get their fourth victory on a six-game road trip that concludes tonight at Milwaukee.

The Gulls (13-10-2) remained in second place in the IHL Western Division while the Choppers (7-15-3) kept their spot at the bottom of the Eastern Division.

The Gulls scored two goals in 56 seconds in the second period, with Mayer scoring the first and assisting on the second. Mayer tied the game, 2-2, when he took a faceoff from Mike Sullivan at the left point and sent a rising 40-foot shot over the left shoulder of Chopper goalie Rick Knickle.

Mayer then led a 2-1 break before feeding Taylor Hall with a short crossing pass. Hall scored to give the Gulls the lead at the 8:23 mark of the period.

Mayer now has scored a point in nine consecutive games. He has 14 points in that span, five goals and nine assists.

“He played another great game,” Gulls Coach Mike O’Connell said of Mayer. “Since he came to us from the (Detroit) Red Wings (last month) he’s given us everything we could possibly want.”

Darren Lowe scored first to give the Gulls a 1-0 lead 2:20 into the game. Albany countered with goals by Scott Shaunessy and Yves Heroux later in the period. Bob Jones capped the scoring for the Gulls with his fifth goal of the season late in the second.

Goalie Alain Chevrier stopped 40 of a season-high 42 shots as the Gulls improved to 4-1 on the road trip.