LIVE: Gulls Lead Reign 5-4
Apr 4, 2021By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls lead the Ontario Reign, 5-4, in the third period of today's Easter matinee matchup.
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Hunter Drew put San Diego ahead just 14 seconds after the Reign tied the game.
Jack Badini won an offensive zone faceoff back to Keegan Lowe, who quickly moved the puck to Kodie Curran. The defenseman fired a shot that Drew deflected past Troy Grosenick for his fifth goal of the season.
Curran, who scored earlier in the game, recorded a multi-point night with the assist.
Mikey Eyssimont pulled Ontario even with a power-play goal at 6:14 of the period, whacking a loose puck through Lukas Dostal for the game-tying tally.
Akil Thomas brought the Reign within one with his seventh goal of the season just 1:01 into the final frame.
Arthur Kaliyev (0-2=2) and Jacob Moverare (1-1=2) collected assists on the tally to record multi-point performances.
Ontario came out strong in the middle frame and pulled ahead 2-1 on Moverare's first American Hockey League goal.
Ontario came out strong in the middle frame and pulled ahead, 2-1, on Jacob Moverare's first American Hockey League goal.
Quinton Byfield started the play on the forecheck, jarring the puck loose and leading a rush into San Diego's end. The center fed it to the recently-reassigned Matt Luff, who found a wide-open Moverare in the circle for a one-time chance. The former fourth round pick didn't miss, slapping a shot past Lukas Dostal.
San Diego responded with three straight goals to take a two-score advantage into the locker room.
Vinni Lettieri evened the score with his seventh goal of the season just past the halfway mark of the period.
The wing began the play, carrying the puck into the Ontario defensive zone before sending a cross-ice feed to Jacob Perreault. The rookie momentarily mishandled the puck before regaining possession, sending the puck back to Lettieri in the slot. He quickly one-touched a pass to Andrew Agozzino, who saw his bid denied by Troy Grosenick. Lettieri found the loose puck in the crease, burying the rebound past the Ontario netminder for the game-tying tally.
Both Perreault (1-1=2) and Agozzino (0-2=2) also recorded multi-point games on the goal. Agozzino extended his point streak to five games (2-4=6) while Perreault collected his fourth point (2-2=4) in his last five periods of hockey.
Alex Limoges put San Diego ahead with his first American Hockey League goal with 4:33 left in the middle frame.
The rookie center started the play, blocking a slap shot in his own end and beating the Reign defenseman to the puck. He skated into the zone on a 3-on-1 rush, and fooled Troy Grosenick with a low shot along the ice for the milestone marker.
Kodie Curran extended San Diego's lead with a power-play goal with just 33 seconds left in the middle frame.
Andrew Poturalski sent a pass to Lettieri, who laid the puck to Curran at the point. The defenseman wound up and fired a one-timed shot past a screened Grosenick for his fifth goal of the season and second straight game with a man-advantage tally.
Curran also extended his point streak to five games (3-3=6).
Poturalski picked up his league-leading 21st assist on the goal. The Buffalo, NY native also leads the AHL in scoring (5-21=26).
Lettieri extended his point streak to five games (4-5=9). The Exclesior, MN native has six multi-point performances in nine AHL games.
The teams traded goals in the opening frame.
Perreault opened the scoring with his third goal of the season at 3:57 of the period.
Agozzino started the play, leading a 2-on-1 rush into the offensive zone. Troy Grosenick stopped the initial bid, but Perreault charged the net to deposit the rebound to give San Diego the lead. The rookie forward has goals in back-to-back games.
Agozzino's assist marked his 400th career American Hockey League point.
Daniel Brickley evened the score with his third goal of the season at 15:11 of the period, whipping a shot past Dostal.