MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nick Strait
nstrait@fresnofalcons.com
October 29, 2002
FALCONS HOLD OFF GULLS
Five Different Falcons Score for Fourth Straight Win
FRESNO, Calif. - Things always
seem to get interesting when the Fresno
Falcons and San Diego Gulls get together for a little hockey.
Falcons rookie
Colin Embley had a pair of goals and an assist and four other
Falcons
tallied goals as Fresno held off several San Diego comebacks to
win, 6-4,
Tuesday evening at Selland Arena. The Falcons have now won the
first four
games of their franchise record nine-game homestand.
The Gulls drew first blood late
in the first period when Mike Garrow ripped
a shot from near the blue line to give San Diego the 1-0 lead.
Austin de
Luis responded for the Falcons just 22 seconds later when he hooked
up with
Alex Todd to beat Gulls goaltender Trevor Koenig and knot the
game at one
apiece.
In the second period, Fresno didn't
waste any time breaking the stalemate
when Embley took a feed from Jason Weaver and found the back of
the net just
1:18 into the frame for the 2-1 lead. With the Falcons down a
man just three
minutes later, Weaver gave the Falcons their first two-goal advantage
with
his shorthanded goal at the 4:27 mark. After the Gulls cut Fresno's
lead
back down to one a couple of minutes later, Frederick put the
Falcons back
on top by two with his second goal of the season as the Falcons
took a 4-2
lead into the final period of play.
San Diego's Dean Tiltgen made
the game interesting in the third period as he
notched his first of two goals on the evening just 2:16 into the
frame to
bring the Gulls back within one. Two and half minutes later, Kris
Porter
became the fifth Falcon on the night to light lamp with his power
play goal
that put the Falcons out in front 5-3, their third two-goal lead
of the
game. The Gulls, however, battled back as Tiltgen managed to score
his
second goal of the night midway through the period to make it
a one-goal
hockey game again. The Falcons stood their ground for the final
10 minutes
of the contest and Embley sealed the victory with his second goal
of the
game on an empty netter with 20 seconds left.
Special teams were out in full
force as the Falcons converted on one of
their three power play opportunities. At the same time, Fresno
was able to
limit San Diego to only two goals in nine power play chances.
Goaltender
Terry Friesen turned in 29 saves for his third victory of the
season.
With the win, the Falcons take
sole possession of second place in the West
Coast Hockey League with a mark of 4-1-0 and 8 points. They are
now one
point ahead of the Gulls, who are winless in their last five games.
Both
teams trail the Idaho Steelheads for first place.
The Falcons will look to avenge
their opening night loss when they return to
the ice on Friday, Nov. 1, when the Bakersfield Condors make their
first
trip to Selland Arena this season for a 7:30 p.m. showdown. Friday
night's
game will feature free Travel Mugs courtesy of Pizza Factory,
KFRE WB 59 and
Alice 102.7. Tickets are on sale now at the Selland Arena box
office, all
Ticketmaster locations, or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.