San Diego Gulls Win In Overtime For First Road Victory

SAN DIEGO, CA — Chase De Leo put in a rebound for a power-play goal with scored on a rebound with 28 seconds left in overtime Wednesday evening to give the San Diego Gulls a 5-4 victory over the Ontario Reign.

De Leo collected the rebound of the slap shot by Trevor Carrick and put the puck between goaltender Troy Grosenick's pads for his second goal of the game and fifth of the season.

The goal came three seconds before a holding penalty against Ontario left wing Mikey Eyssimont was to expire.

Overtime in the American Hockey League is usually played with three skaters per team, two less than usual. However, when there is a penalty, the team on the power play gets to put a fourth skater on the ice.

Ontario (1-8-2-0) had tied the score with 28 seconds left in regulation when on a goal by Akil Thomas after coach John Wroblewski pulled Grosenick for a sixth attacker.

The Gulls (8-4-0-0) had taken a 4-2 lead on power-play goals by Andrew Agozzino and Sam Carrick, Trevor Carrick's brother, one minute, 13 seconds apart early in the third period.

Agozzino scored on a pass from Andrew Poturalski 1:14 into the period when the Gulls had a two-man advantage. Sam Carrick deflected a pass from Poturalski at 2:37.

The Reign cut the deficit to 4-3 with 13:30 left in regulation when Tyler Madden put in a rebound for his first professional goal.

De Leo's first goal of the night gave the Gulls a 2-1 lead 4:35 into the second period when he put a shot from the slot between Grosenick's pads. Ontario tied the score at 11:23 of the second period on a shot from the low slot.

Reign defenseman Cameron Gaunce opened the scoring 2:15 into the first period when both teams were a skater short because of coincidental minor roughing penalties to Gulls defenseman Jeremy Roy and Thomas.

The Gulls tied the score on rookie center Benoit-Olivier Groulx's goal at 8:24 of the first period.

The Gulls were outshot, 41-30, including 21-6 in the second period.

Gulls goaltender Anthony Stolarz (3-0-0-0) made 37 saves, including the only shot he faced in overtime. Grosenick (0-0-1-0) made 25 saves, three in overtime.

The Gulls killed all four of Ontario's power-play opportunities and scored on two of their three.

The victory at the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo was the Gulls' first road victory of the season. They lost their first four road games.

The Reign are playing at the practice facility of their NHL parent team, the Los Angeles Kings, in an attempt to reduce the possibility of spreading the coronavirus.

The victory was also the Gulls' first since their NHL parent team, the Anaheim Ducks, recalled center Trevor Zegras, Feb. 21. Zegras shared the AHL scoring lead when he was recalled with nine points on four goals and five assists.

— City News Service