LIVE: Gulls Fall To Reign 4-2
Dec 10, 2021By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls dropped the first game of a back-to-back rivalry weekend series with the Ontario Reign 4-2 tonight at Toyota Arena.
Brayden Burke scored the game-winning goal early in the third period - part of a multi-point performance - to power the Reign past the Gulls. Martin Frk also collected two points (1-1=2) while Tyler Madden and Austin Wagner scored for Ontario. Matthew Villalta stopped 15 shots for his ninth win of the season.
Greg Pateryn and Jacob Perreault scored for the Gulls, who saw their winless streak hit three.
THIRD PERIOD RECAP
Brayden Burke gave the Reign a one-goal lead just 1:06 into the final frame.
The left wing came skating down into the slot, converting a Martin Frk feed from below the goal line just before losing an edge and falling to the ice. His shot zipped past the outstretched glove of Lukas Dostal for Burke's fourth goal of the season.
Both he and Frk have multi-point games, tallying a goal and assist.
The Reign held the puck in San Diego's zone, attacking in waves and pressuring the Gulls defense. Fagemo found open room in the slot, taking a pass and working alone on Dostal. He deked to his backhand and looked to slide his shot along the ice, but a pad save put an end to the scoring threat.
SECOND PERIOD RECAP
Austin Wagner broke the one-goal tie with 8:23 left in the middle frame, giving Ontario its first lead of the game.
Defenseman Austin Strand bombed a shot that deflected off traffic in front. The puck skittered to Wagner, who crashed the crease from the side boards and slammed the puck past a sliding Dostal for his third goal of the season.
The goal snapped a seven-game pointless drought for the Reign left wing.
Greg Pateryn responded, pulling San Diego even with 1:25 left in the second period.
Kodie Curran held the point along the boards. He swept a pass to Pateryn, who wound up and fired a shot from the low point toward the net. The puck found its way through traffic and through Matthew Villalta for the defenseman's second goal of the season.
Curran - returning after missing 13 games with a lower-body injury - collected his second assist of the season.
FIRST PERIOD RECAP
Jacob Perreault and Frk traded goals in the opening 4:43 of regulation.
San Diego struck first, as Perreault collected his eighth goal of the season just 3:11 into regulation. Danny O'Regan chipped a puck past the Reign defense at center ice, sending Brayden Tracey and Perreault into Ontario's zone on a 2-on-1 rush. Tracey patiently waited for the passing lane to open, feeding a cutting Perreault. He fought through a stick check and tapped the puck into an open net for the goal.
The score broke a six-game scoreless streak for Perreault, who entered tonight leading San Diego in goals and tied for the team lead in points.
Tracey has points in back-to-back games and 4-5=9 points in his last six games. He's tied for sixth in scoring among AHL rookie leaders with 6-10=16 points. Tracey is tied for the team lead in scoring and tied for the team lead in assists.
Frk evened the score just over a minute later, converting on a rush chance for his 11th goal of the season. He's tied for second among league leaders in goals, and his 11-12=23 points leads the Reign.
Dostal stopped 8-of-9 shots in the first period. He enters tonight with four wins in his last six starts (4-2-0-0) and has allowed three goals or fewer in six of his last seven games. On the season, Dostal is 5-4-0 with a 2.80 goals-against average (GAA) and a .897 save percentage (SV%).
Villalta stopped 6-of-7 shots in the opening frame. The Kingston, ONT. native enters tonight at 8-2-0-0 with a 2.72 GAA and .903 SV