The San Diego Gulls finished 2019 in Tucson dropping the contest 7-4. After a tightly contested first two periods, the division leading Roadrunners would take control in the third period for the victory.

Tucson came out firing in the first period, hitting the post twice, but the Gulls put up the first score of the game at 7:13 when Blake Pietila scored assisted by Justin Kloos and Chris Wideman. About a minute later the Roadrunners tied the game with a shot off a faceoff from Michael Bunting. San Diego would finish the period with a 2-1, despite the Roadrunners outshooting the Gulls 17-9, thanks to a breakaway, shorthanded goal by Justin Kloos.

Just over one minute into the second period Blake Speers scored to tie the game at two apiece. Then about five minutes into the period Simon Benoit intercepted the puck, shoveled it to Chase De Leo who shot from the left side of the net, recovered the rebound and skated around the backside of the net to the right side where his shot was blocked. Once again he recovered the rebound and shot a line drive from the far side of the left circle into the net to give the Gulls their third lead of the game, 3-2. That lead would last just three minutes before Kyle Capobianco tied the game at 3-3. Then just fourteen seconds into the Roadrunners third power play of the night, they took their first lead of the night with a shot and goal from Brayden Burke. Anthony Stolarz withstood a fury of Tucson shots on goal with six saves in the final three minutes of the period.

The beginning of the third period saw both teams trading shots on goal, the Roadrunners with a 7-6 advantage. That was until Kelly Klima put Tucson ahead by two at 8:23 to open the flood gates. One minute later Chase De Leo got his second goal of the night, a rocket from the top of the left circle between the pads to pull the Gulls within one. But 90 seconds later Tucson regained a two goal lead thanks to Lane Pederson. Brayden Burke added his second goal of the night, an empty netter with 40 seconds left to give the Roadrunners a 7-4 victory.

Gulls goalie Anthony Stolarz finished the night with 39 saves on 45 shots against. The Gulls didn’t score a power play goal for the first time in four games and finish December 4-4-1-1. San Diego will return home to face the Bakersfield Condors on Friday, January 3 at 7:00 PM to begin the 2020 campaign.