Myatovic's Overtime Winner Lifts Gulls Past Roadrunners
Oct 17, 2026By Ashley Rubin/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls got their redemption in their overtime victory over the Tucson Roadrunners tonight at Tucson Convention Center Arena, 3-2.
Nico Myatovic was the OT hero, scoring his second career overtime goal and second of the night, his first multi-goal game of the season. The forward ranks second amongst all Gulls skaters in points and leads the team in goals with 4-2=6 points in seven games
"I kind of just saw the D-man there," Myatovic said. "I had a lot of speed I knew coming all the way from my end, so I just decided to take him on one-on-one, and it ended up going in."
Tonight’s win was essential for the team following their shutout last night. San Diego knew Tucson would come out with a push but stayed resilient to take the two points and secure the win.
"You knew they were going to make a push, but again, just a great response," assistant coach Steve McCarthy said. "All the credit to the guys in the room. We talked about it, we had our meetings, the guys came out, and they played solid for 60 minutes. We knew Tucson was going to make a push. The guys responded, and they were rewarded. So, it's great to see."
San Diego came out the gate running, with Myatovic finding the back of the net just 1:13 into the game.
Power play momentum has been a focus for San Diego, and they were able to capitalize on it tonight. Matthew Phillips netted a goal on the man-advantage in the second, marking his second power play and third total goal of the season. Phillips has netted two of the Gulls’ four power play goals.
"It was nice to see them break through," McCarthy said. "But again, the puck wasn't going in, they were doing a lot of things and, there's ebbs and flows during the season with the power play. But again, it was huge for them to get on the board."
Nathan Gaucher tallied his second assist of the season on Myatovic’s first goal while Gulls point leader Anton Wahlberg collected an assist to bring his season point total to 1-6=7. Stian Solberg had his second multi-point game of the season, collecting assists on the game-winner and power play goals.
Damian Clara put on another impressive performance protecting the crease, stopping 28-of-30 shots matching his season high in saves. Clara holds a 2.28 GAA and .920 SV% on the season in his three starts.
The Gulls look to keep the momentum going as they return home to Pechanga Arena San Diego on Wednesday, Oct. 21 to take on the Coachella Valley Firebirds (7 p.m. PDT).