San Diego Set for Final Clash with Tucson
Apr 15, 2026
By Ashley Rubin/SanDiegoGulls.com
The 2025-26 regular season is winding down as the San Diego Gulls are set for a final matchup with the Tucson Roadrunners tonight at Pechanga Arena San Diego (7 p.m. PDT; TV: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio: Gulls Audio Network).
San Diego clinched their Calder Cup Playoffs spot on Saturday, ensuring their first postseason appearance since the 2021-22 season. The Gulls taking the last spot left the Roadrunners out of contention as they rank eighth in the Pacific Division. The Gulls look to pick up some extra points and sharpen their game up in their final three contests of the season.
"I don’t think Tucson has the kind of character that they’re going to stop," head coach Matt McIlvane said. "They’ve got a bunch of guys that work and they’ve got a very committed group. I’m expecting a competitive hockey game, just like every time that we play them. We’re going to have to be real sharp."
The Gulls have gone 5-0-1-1 against the Roadrunners this season. The teams last competed on Apr. 1 when Calle Clang recorded his third AHL career shutout, matching the Gulls' single-season record.
Seven different Gulls skaters found the back of the net in Saturday’s contest, proving an all-around team effort to secure the win. Yegor Sidorov started the scoring off in the first and was followed by Matthew Phillips, Nathan Gaucher, Justin Bailey, and Nico Myatovic in the second. Tristan Luneau and Stian Solberg each put one in on the empty net to add to the score in the third. Damian Clara made his season debut between the pipes, putting on an impressive performance as he only allowed three goals through 39 shots and earned the first win of his AHL career.
"It’s a lot of excitement," Pastujov said. "It feels like a little bit of a monkey off the back. We’ve been thinking about this all year and it’s so special to clinch with a win there in Bakersfield. At the same time, it’s just the start. Now we’re in and we’re super excited to get going when the playoffs start."
San Diego will head on the road next to take on the rival Ontario Reign at Toyota Arena on Friday, Apr. 17 before returning home to close out the regular season with the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Saturday, Apr. 18 at Pechanga Arena San Diego (7 p.m. PDT).