Gulls Beat Reign in Shootout
Oct 13, 2018
Andy Welinski recorded two goals and an assist to secure the first win of the 2018-19 season for San Diego as they defeated the Ontario Reign, 6-5, in a shootout at Citizens Business Bank Arena. With the win, the Gulls improved to 22-13-1-1 all-time against the Reign.
Ontario’s Sheldon Rempal started off a five-goal first-period scoring frenzy with the game’s opening goal coming by way of a cross-ice pass from Matt Moulson 3:58 into the game. The opening frame would feature four more goals over the following 7:02, including three unanswered by the San Diego Gulls.
Sam Carrick answered with his fourth goal of the season, coming less than a minute after Ontario’s opening score. His goal set multiple franchise marks, as he became the first Gull to score a goal in each of the first three games to open a season and the first to score four goals through the first three contests to surpass the three scored in three games by Kevin Roy (2017-18), Antoine Laganiere (2016-17) and Nick Ritchie (2015-16).
The opening tally for the Gulls extended Carrick’s goal streak to three consecutive games with his fourth of the season at 4:49 of the first period. Carrick now has five points in three games to open the season (4-1=5).
It took just 2:59 for San Diego to add another goal as Logan Shaw recorded his first goal with San Diego, coming on the power play. The forward has registered two points (1Gj/1A) in as many games this season.
Giovanni Fiore added another to his scoring résumé with a third San Diego goal in a span of 4:40. He would add an assist later in the game to become one of three Gulls players to record multi-point games.
Reign forward Brad Morrison would cut the Gulls lead in half with a goal off of a takeaway to conclude the offensive display in the opening frame.
Mikey Eyssimont tied the game at three goals apiece with a wrap-around just over a minute into the second period.
Welinski scored his first goal of the season 50 seconds later to take back the lead. Later in the period, he added another score on the power play to wrap up his three-point performance (2G/1), marking his third career multi-goal game.
With a 5-3 lead heading into the second intermission, Ontario opened the final frame with a quick goal as Matt Moulson and Kurtis MacDermid each tallied goals, with one coming via a 5-on-3 man advantage.
The first overtime of the season began frantically with Ontario pacing the play and drawing a Pontus Aberg tripping penalty only 31 seconds into the extra session With a 4-on-3 man advantage, Ontario possessed the puck for the majority of the two minutes but San Diego’s stout three-man unit was able to keep Ontario from capitalizing on the open ice and tired penalty killers. The remaining few minutes of overtime saw few quality scoring chances and the Gulls headed to their first shootout of the season.
Sam Carrick equalized the first Ontario shootout attempt, while Jared Coreau stopped the following two attempts. It was Southern California native Chase De Leo that wrapped up San Diego’s first win of the campaign with an emphatic 6-5 win on the road.
In addition to his game-deciding goal in the shootout, De Leo earned the primary assist on both Fiore’s goal and Welinski’s power-play marker, his second and third assists of the season (1-3=4). De Leo now has two multi-point efforts in three games this season (also Oct. 6 at Tucson, 1-1=2).
Jared Coreau stopped 38-of-43 shots in his second start of the season to earn his first win as a Gull.
San Diego will return to San Diego to open a four-game homestand beginning Friday, Oct. 19 vs. the Milwaukee Admirals (7 p.m.).