The Coachella Valley Firebirds ended a two-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Gulls on Friday night at Pechanga Arena. Logan Morrison scored twice, helping his team secure the win and improve their season record to 16-10-4-0.
Morrison opened the scoring early in the first period, assisted by Jani Nyman, and added another goal just three seconds into a powerplay, set up by Oscar Fisker Molgaard. The Gulls responded late in the first period with goals from Justin Bailey and Ryan Carpenter, tying the game at 2-2.
Lleyton Roed put the Firebirds back in front less than five minutes into the second period. John Hayden and Gustav Olofsson provided assists on Roed’s third goal of the season. Eduard Sale extended Coachella Valley’s lead early in the third period, with assists from Jagger Firkus—who now has points in six consecutive games—and Andrei Loshko. Hayden secured the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Goaltender Nikke Kokko set a franchise record by appearing in his 54th game for Coachella Valley, surpassing Chris Driedger and Ales Stezka for most games played by a goaltender in team history. Kokko made 25 saves on 27 shots as San Diego outshot Coachella Valley 27 to 26. The Firebirds finished one-for-two on powerplays and successfully killed all four penalties.
The three stars of the game were Lleyton Roed (third), Eduard Sale (second), and Logan Morrison (first), who led with his two-goal performance.
Coachella Valley will travel to Ontario for their first matchup of the season against the Reign on Saturday, January 3rd at 6pm PT. The Firebirds return home to Acrisure Arena on Wednesday, January 7th to face off against Henderson Silver Knights.
Fans can purchase tickets for upcoming games through official channels and are encouraged to buy parking passes in advance using ParkWhiz to avoid higher rates on game day. Ticket packages are available for various preferences including half-season, flex plans, and nine-game options.
Premium seating options have been released for this season after three years, offering access to exclusive club amenities at Acrisure Arena. Fan experience enhancements include advance-purchase parking savings, new food options tailored for affordability, earlier weekday start times, and pregame Happy Hour events at The Oasis.
More information about ticketing, premium seating, gameday features, and team updates is available at CVFirebirds.com or via @Firebirds on social media.
