Preview: Gulls Host Canucks for Friday Night Showdown
Oct 27, 2023By Morgan Korovec/SanDiegoGulls.com
There’s nothing like a Friday night spent at home.
The San Diego Gulls return home tonight to face the Abbotsford Canucks at Pechanga Arena San Diego at 7 p.m. PT.
Tonight’s matchup marks the Gulls’ second home game of the 2023-2024 season, and the start of the four-game season series between the San Diego Gulls and Abbotsford Canucks.
The Gulls fell to the Canucks 6-1 the last time the teams faced off at Pechanga Arena in February. The team’s history playing against the Canucks brings on a slightly spooky air – San Diego is 2-9-1-0 all-time against Abbotsford – but nothing that could scare them off. It might just be the driving energy needed for the young Gulls to make their mark.
"Organized," head coach Matt McIlvane said of Abbotsford. "That’s what they are. They’re a really organized team, offensively and defensively. We know they’ve got threats. They present a huge challenge. For us, we’ll just stay focused on us and our game. We have plenty of room to improve from our last one and we’d be excited to show it tonight."
Of the rookies on his team, all eight have picked up a point thus far.
"It’s indicative of where the organization is – stocked full of great prospects," McIlvane said. "For us as coaches, we’re fortunate to have a lot of them and be able to watch these guys utilize their skill set within the team game."
After Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Tucson Roadrunners, the Gulls were reminded of the value of building momentum and energy following that early puck drop that ultimately seemed to get to them in the first period.
"The first couple minutes can be a little shaky, but you get your feet underneath you and you’re good to go," said defenseman Nick Wolff. "If the guys get in a troubled spot, I’m always there to back them up. It’s a learning path for all of us. We all make mistakes but learning from them is the biggest thing. When we make mistakes and get stretched out, that’s when they take advantage of it. We just need to play through those mistakes, stick together, keep skating, and play simple. I think that’s the game key."
Gulls goaltending has been a highlight thus far in their 2023-2024 season. Over the first four games, goalies Calle Clang and Alex Stalock have combined for 2.52 goals against average and a .932 save percentage.
Against the Abbotsford Canucks on April 15, 2022, Stalock recorded a 24-save shutout as a member of the San Jose Barracuda. Glenn Gawdin (3-8=11 in 11 games) leads active Gulls in career points and assists vs. Abbotsford, while Andrew Agozzino (4-2=6 in six games) paces the Gulls in career goals against the Canucks.
The Gulls will look to grab their first win at home this season, all while riding out the wave of learning and practicing the craft of playing competitively whilst remaining outside the penalty box.