LIVE: Gulls Fall To Wild 3-2
Jan 28, 2022By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls fell to the Iowa Wild 3-2 in tonight's game at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA.
Bryce Gervais scored the game-winning goal in the second period - his first of the season - to lead Iowa to a second straight win. Mason Shaw and Keaton Thompson also scored to support a stellar 29-save effort from Zane McIntyre.
Greg Printz and Benoit-Olivier Groulx scored for the Gulls, who saw their losing streak hit four. Olle Eriksson Ek stopped 17 of 20 shots.
Second Period Recap
Gervais restored Iowa's two-goal lead at 5:13 of the middle frame.
The Wild once again scored immediately following an offensive-zone faceoff win, with Gervais deflecting a hard shot from defenseman Joe Hicketts past Eriksson Ek for his first goal of the season.
Hicketts continues his solid season, moving to ninth among American Hockey League defenseman with 7-14=21 points.
Groulx brought San Diego within one with 6:50 left in the period.
Alex Limoges held the puck in the corner of the offensive zone, sending a pass through his defenseman and onto the stick of a cutting Groulx. The center didn't miss, firing his shot past McIntyre for his fifth goal of the season.
With the goal, Groulx extended his point streak to three games (2-1=3). He has six points (3-3=6) in his last seven games.
Limoges recorded a point in his second consecutive game (1-1=2).
Jacob Perreault and Gervais dropped the gloves with 6:22 left in the period, as the Gulls rookie stepped in to defend his teammate, Axel Andersson. The lightweight bout featured two solid right hand shots from Perreault before the linsemen ended the tilt.
San Diego continues to send pucks on net, collecting 25 shots through two periods. McIntyre is up to the task, turning aside 23 of those attempts.
Eriksson Ek has 14 saves on 17 shots.
First Period Recap
The two teams set an early physical tone, with the game's first fight coming just before the five-minute mark of the opening period.
Mike McKee and Iowa's Cody McLeod quickly tossed off the gloves and squared up, with Iowa's captain throwing jabs in quick succession. McKee withstood the early attack, responding with a clean upper cut. McLeod responded in kind before McKee wrestled him down to the ice.
It's the first fighting major for the hulking Gulls defenseman. McLeod earned his ninth fighting major of the season.
Shaw opened the scoring on the power play with 3:46 left in the period, one-timing a pass from Calen Addison past a screened Eriksson Ek for his 11th goal of the season.
The Gulls have allowed a power-play goal in four straight games.
Thompson doubled Iowa's lead, scoring his first goal of the season with 2:15 remaining in the opening frame, doubling Iowa's lead with a shot past the screened Eriksson Ek.
Printz responded for the Gulls, getting them on the board with 1:20 left in the period.
Lucas Elvenes forced the Wild to send an errant clearing attempt up the boards, where Brogan Rafferty intercepted the puck. He fed it to Printz, who cut toward the slot and wired the puck over the shoulder of Zane McIntyre for his third goal of the season.
Rafferty has assists in his last two games.
Eriksson Ek turned aside eight of 10 shots in the opening period. McIntyre made 13 saves.