Gulls Geared to Open Season Series With Condors
Feb 20, 2024By Nick Aguilera/SanDiegoGulls.com
It’s been a long time coming, but the San Diego Gulls and Bakersfield Condors are finally ready to face off for the first time in the 2023-24 season tonight at Mechanics Bank Arena (6:30 p.m. PST; TV: AHL TV; Radio: Gulls Audio Network).
After a water main break at Pechanga Arena San Diego forced the first two games of the series to be postponed, the Gulls and Condors will finally see each other for the first time in 364 days.
"We'll be excited to see a new opponent," head coach Matt McIlvane said. "(Going) to a new arena for the first time for me. We know how well they're playing. The biggest thing for us is how much of this game can we sustain and keep building on and keep learning and keep getting better because we have another great opportunity against Bakersfield."
Both teams are looking to flip their fortunes, as the Gulls dropped back-to-back games after winning three straight, while the Condors haven’t found the win column in each of their last three contests.
"Big games coming up," Gulls defenseman Tyson Hinds said after Saturday night’s loss. "We just need to play like it's the playoffs. We really want to make the playoffs, so we need to play like this every night. Hopefully, the score is going to be different next game and the games after that if we keep playing like that."
It’ll likely be a battle of the masked men tonight, as San Diego goaltender Tomas Suchanek and Bakersfield netminders Olivier Rodrigue and Jack Campbell have all posted save percentages over .905 this season. Suchanek suffered the loss in the Gulls’ last game against Henderson, stopping 19-of-21 shots, but has still helped San Diego earn standings points in eight of his last nine starts (7-1-1).
San Diego’s offense went a bit cold at home the last two games, scoring just three goals total, but the team has found contributions from unexpected places. Hinds scored his second goal of the season Saturday night and Pavol Regenda, who had just four assists entering the month, extended his career-long assist streak to five games with six helpers in that span.
The Gulls won’t be on the road long, as they head back to San Diego following tonight’s game to prepare for another pivotal battle on Saturday night against the Ontario Reign at Pechanga Arean (6 p.m. PST).