LIVE: Gulls Fall To Reign 3-0
Apr 15, 2022By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls fell to the Ontario Reign 3-0 in tonight's game at Toyota Arena.
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Cameron Gaunce (1-1=2) led the Reign to the win. Martin Frk and Taylor Ward also scored as Ontario moved closer to securing at least the second seed in the Pacific Division.
Lukas Dostal was excellent in the loss, allowing two goals on 28 shots.
Third Period Recap
Gaunce hit the empty net with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, collecting his second point of the game.
Second Period Recap
Frk - a perpetual thorn in San Diego's side - doubled Ontario's lead at 5:03 of the middle frame. The American Hockey League's second-leading goal scorer accepted a pass from Cameron Gaunce at the red line, splitting the Gulls defense and snapping a shot through the legs of Dostal for his 38th goal of the season.
Frk has four goals in his last two games against San Diego and leads all skaters with nine goals in the season series.
Ontario will start the third period with 1:15 remaining on the power play, their third chance of the game.
First Period Recap
Ward opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 8:34 of the period, sending a shot through the defense of Nikolas Brouillard and past Dostal for his third goal of the season and second against San Diego.
The goal took some spotlight away from a stellar sequence by Dostal and defenseman Trevor Carrick, who combined to keep Frk off the scoreboard. The Gulls goaltender read a cross-ice pass, sliding to get his body in front of Frk's one-time bid. The puck squeaked through, sitting dangerously on the goal line before Carrick swiped it out of the way.
Dostal made yet another solid stop moments later, blockering aside a T.J. Tynan bid from in tight. The Gulls netminder stopped six of the seven shots he faced in the opening period.
Opposing him is rookie goaltender David Hrenak, who will make his American Hockey League debut. The former fifth round (144th overall) selection by the Los Angeles Kings signed his entry-level contract with the National Hockey League club earlier this week, joining the Reign later in the day on an Amateur Tryout. He spent five seasons with St. Cloud State, going 82-44-14 with a 2.40 GAA and .910 SV%. Hrenak left the program leading the Huskies in games played, wins and shutouts. Additionally, he led St. Cloud State to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
Hrenak stopped seven shots in the first.