Preview: Gulls Ready To Ring In New Year In Henderson
Jan 3, 2024By Nick Aguilera/SanDiegoGulls.com
After ending 2023 with a loss to Tucson, the San Diego Gulls are ready to start 2024 on the right foot in a matchup with the Henderson Silver Knights tonight at The Dollar Loan Center (7 p.m. PST; TV: AHL TV; Radio: Gulls Audio Network).
"I think the new year marks a very natural time to look back and look forward," head coach Matt McIlvane said. "We’re nine points out of a playoff spot and we got 43 games left to go. The good news is that in that year, we have established a very, very clear identity for what drives our success. We know what it looks like when we’re off.
"We went through a lot of adversity, and we grew a lot through it. There’s a lot of growth from individuals in our group, so that’s all happened, and we have to look forward as we continue to make the next steps."
Saturday night saw San Diego drop a 3-2 contest in Tucson, their final game of 2023. The Gulls went up 2-0 in the first period, but couldn’t hold off the Roadrunners, as they scored three unanswered goals to solidify their second-place spot in the Pacific division.
"There’s a lot of distractions that took place during that game that we kind of let get to us," Gulls forward Brayden Tracey said. "That’s something we got to learn, is just fight through that stuff and not let it bother us. Also, you just got to compete for a full 60. If you don’t do that, you won’t get the result you want."
The last time the Gulls and Silver Knights faced off, Henderson skated away with a 2-1 win in San Diego. The Gulls have fallen in one-goal games twice to the Silver Knights this season but will look to flip the script in the back half of their four-game season series.
"I think we need all 20 guys just pushing, putting our heads down [and] fighting for what we want," Tracey said. "Coming into the second half, we really want to make our statement and prove our point, so I think it just starts here."
The Gulls will head back to San Diego following tonight’s game in preparation for a back-to-back against the Bakersfield Condors this weekend at Pechanga Arena San Diego.