Gulls Ground Firebirds in 4-2 Victory
Jan 10, 2024By Morgan Korovec/SanDiegoGulls.com 
The San Diego Gulls brought the heat to Pechanga Arena Wednesday night as they took down the Coachella Valley Firebirds 4-2.
The Gulls burst out of the gate ready to grab their first win of the season over the Firebirds, setting up the opening frame with a couple of early scuffles on ice with the Firebirds.
"When we are physical, when we’re aggressive, when we’re hard to play against, it’s a harder brand of hockey to play against and that’s what we’re trying to instill in our group," said head coach Matt McIlvane. "The guys did a great job with it and I’m happy that they got the result."
The first period didn’t see a goal, as Tomas Suchanek was a solid shield in net, stopping all 16 shots in the first.
Jaxsen Wiebe struck early in the second to put San Diego in front as he angled the puck in past Ales Stezka at 1:55, collecting his second goal in as many games.
At 18:21 in the middle frame, Andrew Agozzino beat the clock as he fired one into the net to extend the Gulls’ lead, netting his eighth goal of the season.
Agozzino also picked up two assists on the night, giving him his team-leading 26th point of the season.
"In the second period, I thought we got aggressive and started to get physical," McIlvane said. "Once we got that point, you know, I thought we had a good second period. I thought our special teams were strong, you know, really all the way through the game. The penalty kill was great.
"Tomas had the answer every time, so credit to him. Great team win and it’s good to get that."
Coachella Valley found their way to the scoreboard at 9:56 in the third as Max McCormick netted a goal to trim San Diego’s lead.
The Gulls answered back as Colton White scooped up the puck and deposited his first goal of the season at 12:31, marking his seventh point (1-6=7).
"It was a great play by [Ben King] and [Agozzino] and [Chase De Leo]. There was a nice entry, and I was lucky enough to be the beneficiary of it," White said.
Minutes later, the Firebirds’ Cameron Hughes scored the team’s second goal of the evening.
With less than a minute left in regulation, Glenn Gawdin fired a long shot straight into the empty net, sealing San Diego’s victory.
Suchanek stopped 34-of-36 shots on the night. He also picked up an assist, the first point of his AHL career.
Nick Wolff, Chase De Leo, and Ben King all picked up assists on the night.
The Gulls gear up for more ice action on Saturday, Jan. 12 at Pechanga Arena San Diego (6 p.m. PST) as they welcome the Iowa Wild for the first of back-to-back contests.