Rivermen Bury Millen, Gulls

SAN DIEGO —  Greg Millen, a National Hockey League goaltender for 14 seasons, sipped a cup of coffee, wandered through the cramped locker room at the San Diego Sports Arena chatting with his new Gulls teammates.

The new surroundings were strange. Understandably.

“I’ve never really been in the minors,” said Millen, 34, sent here from the New York Rangers. “But everything in this business is a learning experience.”

Millen, in his first minor-league start Saturday, learned first-hand about the defending International Hockey League champion Peoria Rivermen, who dealt the Gulls a 7-5 defeat in front of 6,370 at the Sports Arena.

Millen was rudely introduced Michel Mongeau, Dave Mackey and Steve Tuttle--three of the league’s top three scorers--and a Peoria team (7-1) that greeted him with 27 mostly high-percentage shots on goal.

With the exception of two minutes late in the second period, during which the third-place Gulls (4-6) scored thrice, the game was all Peoria. And Millen, playing for the first time this year, appeared frustrated.

“My timing was definitely off; the inactivity really showed,” he said. “But that’s why I’m here. I just need the one game.”

The Rivermen swept the two-game series here after they suffered their only loss to the Gulls, 4-3, at home last week.

Peoria’s scorers used the series to pad their league-leading statistics. Mongeau, the IHL assist leader and second-leading scorer, riddled Millen and the Gulls for two goals and three assissts Saturday, picking up eight points in two games. Mackey, the league’s fourth-leading scorer, and Tuttle, tops in the IHL in both goals and points, each scored three points in game two. Mackey had two goals; Tuttle had three assists.

“They’ve got about four guys who are ready to play in the NHL,” Millen said.

With three minutes left in the second period, the Gulls trailed, 5-1.

Then, within 1:48, the Gulls scored three times. Dmitri Kvartalnov started the flurry, beating Alain Raymond from the right circle with 2:54 left. Brent Sapergia nailed a slap shot from the slot 21 seconds later, then Kvartalnov scored again on a breakaway after Steve Martinson came up with a steal at the Gulls’ blue line.

But the Gulls were only one for six on the power play (9 for 74 this season); Peoria scored on four of six power-play chances.

Gulls Notes

Saturday’s game marked the end of what Coach Don Waddell called the Gulls’ extended training camp. Now the coach and general manager must decide who to cut and who to keep. Most free agents on the roster are currently signed for 25 to 40 games.

“I’ve got mind made up on some guys. I’d like to get a few squared away right now so they can bring their families in and get settled.” Waddell said he plans to sign goalie Rick Knickle and one-time Kings center Len Hachborn. He also likes center Guy Gadowsky and wings Mitch Wilson and Brent Sapergia, who had 15 goals in 18 games for the Gulls in 1990-91 but finished the year playing in England for more money. Sapergia, 28, has 15 games left on his 25-game contract, but said he wants to stay in San Diego this year and get the attention of NHL scouts before the 1992-93 expansion season.

Dave Korol, the Gulls’ defensive MVP last season who has been out since training camp with a broken left arm, could return for the Gulls’ Oct. 31 game against Phoenix.