Phoenix Routs Gulls

The Roadrunners’ Sylvain Couturier has been a nemesis of the San Diego Gulls hockey team all season. If Couturier wasn’t scoring he was assisting, as he did three times Wednesday night as Phoenix defeated the Gulls, 7-2.

Couturier has scored 23 goals and had 12 assists against San Diego. Wednesday, he concentrated on assists as Marc Saumier scored three times off Couturier’s assists. Saumier now has 29 goals this season.

Phoenix (35-35-6), which last year was an expansion team and didn’t make the playoffs, clinched a playoff spot with its victory over the Gulls (28-41-8).

The loss all but drops the Gulls out of the running for a playoff berth. The Gulls need a victory in Milwaukee Friday to stay in contention.

“We worked very hard and we were disappointed but we just didn’t make the most of our chances.” Gull Coach Mike O’Connell said. “I’ll be the first one to say when we don’t work hard, but tonight that wasn’t the case.”

Although San Diego scored first, it didn’t take Saumier and Couturier long to dominate the game.

Martin Bergeron scored his second goal of the year to give the Gulls a 1-0 lead 2:20 into the game. But before the end of the first period Saumier scored to tie the game, 1-1.

Steve Martinson scored late in the third period for the Gulls.