LIVE: Gulls Fall To Reign 4-3
Feb 20, 2022By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls fell to the Ontario Reign 4-3 in today's matchup at Toyota Arena.
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Gabriel Vilardi powered the Ontario attack, recording two goals (2-0=2) to lead the Reign to a second straight win.
Hunter Drew recorded a career-high three points (2-1=3) in the loss.
Third Period Recap
Lukas Dostal made a highlight-reel desperation save, keeping the deficit at one early in the final frame.
Samuel Fagemo made the initial move, cutting from the goal line to the front of the net to try and stuff the puck past Dostal. The Gulls netminder stood firm, withstanding the crashing Reign forward but keeping the puck in play. Tyler Madden found it, trying to flick the puck over the prone Gulls netminder, but Dostal flashed the glove to keep the puck away from the open net.
Second Period Recap
The two teams kicked off the period with two goals in 47 seconds, a precursor for the offense to come.
Madden struck first, tying the game at one just 1:57 into the period. The forward converted on a pass from T.J. Tynan, who collected his 10th assist against the Gulls this season.
Drew would respond at 2:44, jumping on a loose puck and sending a wrist shot past the glove of Matthew Villalta for his ninth goal of the season. The Kingston, ONT native continues his stellar third American Hockey League season, collecting his sixth point (3-3=6) in his last four games.
He added an assist in the first period to record back-to-back multi-point nights for the first time in his AHL career.
Ontario would jump ahead later in the period with two goals in under four minutes.
Cameron Gaunce tied the game at two, coming down from the point and one-timing a Vilardi pass by Olle Eriksson Ek for his third goal of the season.
Vilardi would tally at 9:06 of the period, one-timing a Rasmus Kupari shot from the left circle past the sliding Eriksson Ek for his 14th goal of the season.
Drew would collect his second goal of the game, tying the score at three with 9:21 left in the period.
He started the play in his own end, laying down a thunderous body check to stunt the Reign's attack at his blue line. San Diego quickly transitioned, with Greg Printz feeding Benoit-Olivier Groulx at Ontario's blue line. The center laid the puck to Drew, who collected it and whipped it on net in one motion, clanging it off the post and past Villalta for his 10th goal of the game.
Drew has a career-high three points (2-1=3) and reached double digits in goals for the first time in his AHL career.
Vilardi would answer back, scoring on the power play with 4:21 left in the period, collecting his fifth multi-goal game of the season. Tynan picked up an assist, his fifth point (1-4=5) of the weekend series.
Dostal entered the game following the goal. Eriksson Ek stopped 14-of-18 shots in 35:39.
The four goals in the middle period marks a new season for goals allowed in the second period by the Gulls, surpassing the previous high of three.
First Period Recap
Brent Gates Jr. continued his incredible scoring streak, opening the scoring at 5:49 of the opening period.
A Drew point shot hit off a body in front and fluttered to the slot, where Gates Jr. corralled the loose puck. He curled back toward the middle and released a floating wrist shot, sending it through traffic and past Villalta for his seventh goal of the season.
The tally extends Gates Jr.'s goal streak to four games. He has six points over that span (5-1=6).
Drew extended his point streak to a career-high four games, collecting 2-3=5 points over that stretch.
Eriksson Ek is in net for the Gulls. The Swedish netminder is 4-9-1 with a 3.32 goals-against average (GAA) and .883 save percentage (SV%). Against the Reign this season, Eriksson Ek is 1-2-0 with a 3.35 GAA and .884 SV%.
Villalta is 16-3-4 with a 2.61 GAA and .916 SV%. His 16 wins are tied for third among all qualified American Hockey League goalies. Villalta, who's enjoying the best success of his career this season, is 4-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .922 SV% against San Diego this season.