The Gulls and Reign faced each other for the third time this season, with the Reign taking one in San Diego and the Gulls taking one in Ontario earlier this season. However, this one went to the Reign as they put one into the net in the final two minutes of regulation, breaking a 25-minutes long tie.
After a scoreless first period which included 20 shots on goal (San Diego 14, Ontario 6), the Gulls struck first as 22-year-old center Alex Dostie shot on an empty net. The score was Dostoe’s sixth goal of the season and his second in as many games. Rookie defenseman Hunter Drew made his second assist of the year.
Later on in the middle of three periods, Ontario’s veteran left wing Lance Bouma knocked the puck into an opening in the net behind Kevin Boyle to tie up the game.
In the remaining 12:30 in the second period, there was no score and the Gulls and Reign were locked in a tie. San Diego led 21-12 in shots on goal.
In the first five minutes of the final period of the night, San Diego and Ontario combined for five penalties. No goals came out of it as each team was able to recover and defend the net.
The Gulls made a costly mistake late in the third period as their penalty kill expired, when Ontario’s veteran right wing Martin Frk was left wide open for a shot into the net to break the 1-1 tie.
The Reign were able to hold their own on 6-on-5 as the Gulls pulled Boyle for an extra attacker for the final minute, and the Gulls left defeated for the third consecutive game.
Game notes:
Kevin Boyle made his first start since Nov. 11 in Stockton and has gotten the loss in each of his four starts this season. He came in relief for starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz twice where he did not give up a single goal. In his four starts, he averages 4.5 goals allowed per game.
Center Chase De Leo made five shots and left wing Maxime Comtois made four, without any results. Alex Dostie went 1-for-1 in shots made.
The Gulls went 0-for-7 on the power play Friday night as they could not do anything even with the one-man advantage. The Reign went 0-for-4.
The 2-1 loss for San Diego was their ninth regulation loss of the season, for a streak of 0-2-1-0. The season record now stands at 7-9-1-0.
What’s next:
The Gulls return to home ice on Saturday as the Tucson Roadrunners come to San Diego for a night game at Pechanga Arena San Diego.
The two teams will meet for the first time in the 2019-20 AHL season. Last season, Tucson led the season series 6-2, but the Gulls have won 17 of 32 games since the start of the 2015 season.
The Roadrunners will enter the game winning nine of their last 10 and 7-2 on the road this season. They have gone 9-1 in the month of November and will look to continue that streak in and out of San Diego.