Preview: Gulls Flock to the Midwest Seeking Second Win Over Iowa
Jan 26, 2024By Morgan Korovec/SanDiegoGulls.com 
The San Diego Gulls are on the road again.
This time, San Diego will be the guest in the Midwest as they kick off a three-game trip at Wells Fargo Arena, taking on the Iowa Wild for back-to-back contests starting on Friday, Jan. 26 (5 p.m. PST; TV: AHLTV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
The Gulls last faced the Wild in a homestand at Pechanga Arena San Diego earlier this month, where San Diego secured a 3-2 SO victory on the first night of back-to-backs before Iowa took home a 2-1 OT win the following night.
Tuesday night at Pechanga Arena saw the Gulls bring a solid game against a division opponent, where they came out on top in a 2-1 SO victory over the Abbotsford Canucks to close out their series.
After the back of the net remained untouched by both teams in the first, Pavol Regenda cashed in to score his 11th goal of the season in the middle frame, marking his first point since returning from a 13-game absence due to injury.
"I mean, it was a long injury," Regenda said. "I came back, and I didn’t really feel good. I say like 20 pounds fell off me with that goal, so I’m happy. I’m happy we won the game. It feels really good."
Tuesday night saw Ben King and Nikita Nesterenko score in the shootout, sealing San Diego’s success.
"Our line played really good. The whole team was really, really good," Regenda added. "We’re happy that we responded… And then we have great guys who have a great shootout. It all was really good."
Gulls goaltender Calle Clang stopped all but one of 25 shots on the night, securing his fifth win.
"Another tight game," Clang said. "Really good to get the win here tonight. I think over 60 minutes, we really deserve those two points, so that feels really good."
"It’s always about how you respond, and I thought Calle showed incredible composure, staying on task, and getting right to the next save, so he was excellent," head coach Matt McIlvane said of the goalie.
For the Gulls, having returned from a British Columbia-bound road campaign less than a week ago, they have been kept on their toes, with time spent together allowing for opportunities to strengthen team chemistry and build momentum, while presenting the challenge of finding moments for their bodies to rest and reset.
"I’m not sure we all unpacked," McIlvane said. "Just put it back on the bus, get on to the plane and then let’s go. Road trips can be great for a team, be able to spend a little bit of extra time together, meals together, travel together, and we’ll find the best way to utilize it."
San Diego will be back at the rink at Wells Fargo Arena tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 27 at 4 p.m. PST to faceoff with Iowa.