Two Hat Tricks Power San Diego Past Iowa in Crazy 7-4 Win
Jan 27, 2024By Nick Aguilera/SanDiegoGulls.com
Nikita Nesterenko and Sasha Pastujov might need to find their local Lids because they’re going to need some services when they get back to San Diego.
Powered by a hat trick from each of the two rookies, the San Diego Gulls experienced all the emotions in a rollercoaster of a 7-4 win over the Iowa Wild Saturday night in Des Moines, their third consecutive win.
"That was the way that we wanted to continue our momentum from yesterday," head coach Matt McIlvane said. "We knew that there was going to be a response and a push from Iowa, and I thought we handled it extremely well in the first. That our game got away from us in the second. Then all of a sudden, Sasha slips one in and it's four-nothing. Really from there, to be able to keep anything perfect, you're asking a ton.
"The reality is that our guys battled and there's a lot of great team effort and individual efforts to get the win today."
Nesterenko and Pastujov scored the 10th and 11th hat tricks in Gulls AHL history, the first time in franchise history two players have recorded a hat trick in the same game. They are the third and fourth rookies in Gulls AHL history to achieve the feat.
As if three goals weren’t enough, both players also tallied an assist to give them each 3-1=4 points on the night, tied for second-most in a single game in Gulls AHL history. Only Nesterenko, Pastujov, Sam Carrick (3-2=5, Nov. 25, 2018 at Stockton) and Andy Welinski (3-1=4, Mar. 31, 2021 at Tucson) have scored three-or-more goals and picked up four-or-more points in a single game in Gulls AHL history.
At 20 years, six months, and 12 days, Pastujov is the youngest player in franchise history to post a hat trick.
For Nesterenko, it was his first multi-goal game at the AHL level. He has tallied 4-3=7 points in his last two games.
"I'm super happy for him," Pastujov said of Nesterenko. "We live together, so we go through some of the ebbs and flows. Obviously [Brayden Tracey] being there too all night, making good passes, good plays and also driving the play for us. I thought Nesty had a had a heck of a night but also my linemates Trace and [Nathan Gaucher] played great as well."
Pavol Regenda stayed hot and netted his third goal of the road trip and fourth in his last three games midway through the first.
Brayden Tracey tallied an AHL career-high three assists (0-3=3) for his third multi-point game of the season.
Andrew Agozzino earned an assist to extend his point streak to four games (1-3=4). Anthony Costantini picked up his first AHL point and assist in his second career game. Tyson Hinds, Nick Wolff and Drew Helleson also tallied assists on the night.
Calle Clang stopped 28-of-32 shots and has helped the Gulls earn standings points in six straight starts (4-0-2).
The San Diego Gulls head to Milwaukee next to face the Admirals at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 30 (4:30 p.m. PST; TV: AHLTV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).