Gulls Pumped for a Second Win over Wranglers
Feb 10, 2024By Morgan Korovec/SanDiegoGulls.com 
The San Diego Gulls are right back at it Saturday night for the second of back-to-back clashes with the Calgary Wranglers at the Scotiabank Saddledome (6 p.m. PST; TV: AHLTV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
San Diego is riding a high as they approach tonight’s battle fresh off a 5-0 win over Calgary in Friday’s contest that saw the Gulls drive play and dominate the ice with consistent effort and momentum.
Chase De Leo kickstarted the scoring, placing the Gulls in the lead early in the opening frame, which would set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
Friday was a four-point game for San Diego’s team captain, who scored twice and tallied two assists to give him his 97th helper as a Gull, placing him on top for the most assists in Gulls AHL history. Now with 63-97=160 points as a Gull, De Leo also passed Corey Tropp (64-93=157) for the second-most points in franchise history.
"It was awesome. Honestly, it was such a good team effort up and down the lineup. Coming off a break, you never really know what's going to happen, but I thought we picked up right where we left off. Talk about keeping the good vibes rolling here after the break and on to the playoffs," De Leo said.
Tomas Suchanek is also leaving his mark on history, as he blocked all 38 shots for his second shutout of the season, making him the fifth goaltender in Gulls AHL history to record multiple in a single season.
In their latest contest, energy on the ice was infectious and things kept going right for the Gulls as Judd Caulfield, Glenn Gawdin, and Josh Lopina all added a goal to San Diego’s lead.
Heading into tonight’s showdown, the Gulls will aim to replicate that electric energy and solid strategy as they go after a second win over the Wranglers, ranked third in the Pacific Division.
Driven by the excitement of their recent win, San Diego must also prepare to reset, be present, and focus on their play in a brand-new contest tonight as they expect the opponent to emerge with a vengeance.
After tonight’s duel, the Gulls will get set to flock back to the West Coast to take on the San Jose Barracuda at Pechanga Arena San Diego on Wednesday, Feb. 14 (7 p.m. PST).