Defenseman Gives Gulls Decisive Goal in Shootout

SAN DIEGO â€”  If their medical insurance covers it, the Gulls should look into a good ears, nose and throat doctor.

The Gulls are hearing things.

Friday night the frantic cheers of their fans finally sank through to the International Hockey League’s Gulls, who can play their best against the best and their worst against the worst.

A marathon shootout with Kansas City saw 19 shots taken before defenseman Derek Mayer scored the winning goal, giving the Gulls a 5-4 victory in front of 6,078 at the San Diego Sports Arena.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,� Gulls Coach Mike O’Connell said. “The shootout is the greatest. The NHL should do it. It’s the newest thing I’ve seen that’s been good for the game.�

After regulation, the five-minute overtime failed to produce a winner, as did the five-shot penalty shootout, when only two shots--one by each team--went in.

The Gulls had used up all their offense, so Mayer was sent in for the 20th shot.

In getting there, Jeff Jablonski scored to give the Blades a 4-3 advantage at 11:13, but the Gulls answered with their fourth power-play goal of the night two minutes later (13:12), when Brent Sapergia passed from the left wing behind goalie Wade Flaherty and Dennis Holland knocked the puck in, his second of the night.

The second period was redemption time for the Gulls, who raised their hands and their level of play, and scored twice for a 3-3 tie.

With a little help from Clark Donatelli and Larry Floyd, Holland scored on the power play at 11:32, from outside the right crease. It was the seventh consecutive game Floyd has had an assist.

Gulls goaltender Glen Hanlon kept the deficit from widening throughout the first period, but especially three minutes into the period, when he turned away three Kansas City opportunities in a 60-second span.

Gull Notes

Kansas City, like the Gulls, is a first-year franchise, but its assistant coach, Ken Morrow, has a rich heritage of winning he can dig into and pass along. Morrow was a member of the United States’ 1980 gold-medal winning hockey team in Lake Placid, N.Y. and won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-83 as a defenseman for the New York Rangers. . . . Delay of game: Faceoff was pushed back 10 minutes Friday night because an estimated crowd of 500 was still outside the arena. . . . Two weeks ago, the Gulls led the league in scoring proficiency on the power play. Thursday night they were 1 for 6. . . . NHL comes to town? No, it’s too early for San Diego to be awarded a major-league franchise, but the Buffalo Sabres will take over the Gulls home ice Monday and Tuesday mornings for practice. They play the Kings in L.A. Wednesday night. . . . Fan appreciation: For the month of October, the Gulls, with an average of 5,133 through seven home games, were third in the league behind Milwaukee (7,875) and Kansas City (5,426). . . . After its two-game series against Kansas City, the Gulls continue their five-game homestand, hosting Phoenix, Kansas City and Salt Lake, Nov. 14, 16 and 18.