San Diego Gulls Biweekly Report 3

By Thomas Harrington

The San Diego Gulls went 2-1-2 over the past two weeks. While they are not currently in a playoff position, they are not far out. One area the Gulls have really struggled in this year is overtime, where they’ve only won once and lost five times, the most losses in the AHL. If they had won just two of those five losses, they’d be in a playoff spot right now.

San Diego started out by hosting the Bakersfield Condors. The Gulls fell behind multiple times but kept fighting back. Neither team scored in the first period, but Bakersfield scored twice in the second. Tim Washe made it a one-goal game before the middle frame was over. In the third, Justin Bailey tied the game before the Condors retook the lead a couple minutes later. San Diego kept pushing for that tying goal, and Sam Colangelo finally found it, in the final second of regulation. This was Colangelo’s first game back with the Gulls since being assigned to the AHL after starting the year in Anaheim. In overtime, Bailey found the gamewinner, giving San Diego a 4-3 win. 

The Gulls followed that up with their biggest win of the season as they hosted the Abbotsford Canucks. Bailey started the scoring with a shorthanded goal, and then Judd Caulfield scored twice to make it 3-0 after the first period. Ryan Carpenter made it 4-0 in the second, and Colangelo, Sasha Pastujov, and Bailey all scored in the third to give the Gulls a 7-0 win. Ville Husso stopped all 17 shots he faced. The Gulls then hosted the San Jose Barracuda for their third straight home game. Stian Solberg opened the scoring just a minute into the contest with his first of the season. The Barracuda responded with two goals of their own in the opening period. In the second, Bailey tied the game, but San Jose scored two more goals to build a 4-2 lead. Pastujov scored 39 seconds into the third, and Caulfield tied the game late in the final frame, helping the game go to overtime. San Jose found the goal in the extra session and won 5-4.

San Diego then traveled to Coachella Valley to face the Firebirds. Yegor Sidorov and Pastujov both scored powerplay goals in the first to give the Gulls a 2-0 lead. Pastujov’s was a highlight reel goal that saw him go coast to coast to score the goal. Coachella Valley finally found the back of the net late in the second period, and then tied the game early in the third. The Firebirds scored in overtime and won 3-2. Despite the loss, San Diego played well, launching 43 shots on net, but just got beat by a goaltender playing a great game. The final game for the Gulls started out well, as Sidorov opened the scoring against the Calgary Wranglers just over four minutes into the contest. However, Calgary was the better team in the opening 20 minutes and scored twice to take the lead. San Diego played much better in the second period, but the Wranglers scored the only goal to make it 3-1. In the third, Roland McKeown scored with less than a minute to go in the game, and Calgary won 3-2.

San Diego will play four games over the next two weeks. They’ll start out by traveling to Tucson to face the Roadrunners. The Gulls will then return home for three straight games. They’ll first host Coachella Valley and then the Texas Stars for a pair of games.

There are a number of forwards on San Diego who could get called up to Anaheim, depending on what the Ducks may need. If they need a scoring winger, then Colangelo is the most likely player to be heading to the NHL, though Pastujov or Sidorov could also get a look. If the Ducks are looking more for a checking player, then Washe or Caulfield will likely get the call. Caulfield in particular has been impressive this season. He’s added a lot more offense to his game, and his seven goals are tied for second on the team. On defense, Tristan Luneau is the most likely to head to Anaheim, though Tyson Hinds has played well and could get called up as well.

The Gulls are playing good hockey right now. Some nights, they are outright dominant, and even when they lose, it’s a close game. If they can find some better luck in overtime and have a better record in one-goal games overall, they will have an excellent chance at making it back to the Calder Cup Playoffs after missing them for the past few seasons.

Listen to our hockey podcast by clicking below or visiting us at Podomatic, Rumble, Spreaker, or YouTube.

Support us by becoming a DucksNPucks patron! Members can win game tickets, Ducks gear, and more!

Want to start your sports media career? Then Join The Puck Network!

DucksNPucks is part of The Puck Network, which covers the entire NHL. There are openings to cover your favorite team(s) and earn school credits! If you are interested, then apply by filling out the form here: Join Our Team. What are you waiting for? Start your sports media career TODAY!

Nov 24th, 2025