San Diego Gulls Sign Andrew Lucas, Roman Kinal
Jul 11, 2024The San Diego Gulls announced today that the American Hockey League (AHL) club has signed defenseman Andrew Lucas to a one-year standard player contract (SPC), and defenseman Roman Kinal to a one-year, two-way AHL contract.
Lucas, 25 (2/5/99), appeared in six games with the Gulls in 2023-24, posting three assists (0-3=3) after signing an amateur tryout (ATO). He recorded 5-11=16 points with 16 penalty minutes (PIM) and a +3 rating in 36 NCAA games with the University of Connecticut in 2023-24, leading team defensemen in goals, assists and points. In 2022-23 with the Huskies, the 6-foot, 179-pound defenseman set an NCAA career-high in points after posting 2-22=24 points in 35 games, leading team blueliners is assists and points. Prior to joining UConn, Lucas spent three seasons with the University of Vermont from 2019-22, serving as captain for two seasons (2020-2022) and recording 9-23=32 points with 44 PIM in 81 games.
An Alexandria, Virgina native, Lucas also recorded 10-39=49 points in 53 games with the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in 2018-19, earning AJHL South All-Rookie Team honors. He helped the Bandits secure the AJHL Championship after posting 4-5=9 points in 15 playoff contests. That same season Lucas also tallied two assists (0-2=2) in seven total games with the Langley Rivermen and Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).
Kinal, 25 (7/20/98), skated in 22 games with the San Jose Barracuda in 2023-24, earning one assist (0-1=1) and 39 PIM. He also recorded 7-11=18 points with 34 PIM in 45 games for the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL. He made his professional debut in 2022-23, skating in six games for the Barracuda.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound blueliner spent five seasons at the University of Connecticut from 2018-23, posting 7-20=27 points, 88 PIM and a +3 rating in 121 career NCAA games. The Waterford, Michigan native was teammates with Lucas in 2022-23, serving as the Huskies’ captain while earning 2-5=7 points and 42 PIM in 35 games. Kinal recorded 1-7=8 points and 49 PIM in 51 games with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2017-18. He also tallied an assist and six PIM in five USHL playoff contests.