Gulls Win 3rd Game in a Row

The Gulls won their third consecutive game Thursday, 6-2 over the Phoenix Roadrunners in front of 6,500 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The victory was keyed by three special-teams goals in the second period.

The Gulls (4-4) ended a six-game road trip with a 3-3 record and are in third place in the International Hockey League’s West Divison, two points behind Peoria and four points behind first-place Kansas City.

“When we were 1-4 with three games left on the trip, all I said was, ‘Let’s just work hard,’ ” Gulls Coach Don Waddell said. “The win in Peoria gave us so much momentum and confidence.”

In the second period, the Gulls scored two power-play goals, snapping an 0-for-26 streak, and got their first short-handed goal of the season.

“Our special teams won the game for us,” Waddell said. “Obviously, we had been struggling on the power play so it was good to see us come out of that.”

Right wing Brent Sapergia scored his fourth goal on a power play off an assist from center Guy Gadowsky to make it 1-0 with only 1:14 gone in the period. Robbie Nichols made it 2-0 six minutes later on a short-handed breakaway.

At 15:21 of the second, Len Hachborn scored his second goal of the year on a power play to make it 3-0 Gulls after two periods. He has scored a point in all eight games.

Right winger Soren True scored his fourth goal of the year at 16:55 of the third to make it 4-0.

Phoenix closed the gap to 4-2 with goals from Ross Wilson and Shawn McCosh.

True scored his second goal of the game at 11:50 of the third to make it 5-2 and Sapergia added his second of the game at 14:40 to close out the scoring.

Gulls goalie Rick Knickle won his fourth game in five tries by stopping 29 of 31 shots. The Gulls outshot Phoenix, 38-31.

* GULLS GET MILLEN

Goalie Greg Millen, a 14-year veteran of the NHL, has joined the Gulls in time for this weekend’s series against Peoria. C7B