Nov. 19, 2022

SAN DIEGO - Glenn Gawdin’s hat trick propelled the San Diego Gulls to a 6-1 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins at Pechanga Arena on Saturday.

Pontus Andreasson scored the lone goal of the contest for Grand Rapids as well as the fifth power-play tally of the weekend for the Griffins. Andreasson has lit the lamp in back-to-back games and has seven points (4-3–7) in his last six fixtures. With the loss, Grand Rapids split the season series against San Diego with a 2-2-0-0 record.

At 4:47 in the first, Kyle Criscuolo won a faceoff at the right circle and passed to Andreasson in the slot. The Swede fired a wrister past Lukas Dostal for a power-play tally and an early lead. Gawdin responded for San Diego, scoring with a backhand shot in the crease at 9:00 to tie the game. With 4:21 to go in the first, Brayden Tracy rifled the puck into the top shelf to take a 2-1 edge on a power play.

Just 1:42 into the second, Gawdin scored his second of the night from behind the left circle to increase the Gulls’ lead to two. Givani Smith nearly cut the deficit to one near the crease, but Dostal made an impressive glove save at 14:27 to hold onto their 3-1 advantage.

Drew Helleson tacked on another for the Gulls at 7:32 in the final stanza by shooting the puck between the pads of Victor Brattstrom. The Griffins had a chance to cut into the 4-1 deficit at 9:50 with a 5-on-3 power-play opportunity, but San Diego killed the two-man advantage. The Gulls capped off the night with Gawdin securing a hat trick on an empty net at 12:36 and with Dmitry Osipov firing a shot into the top left of the cage with 5:28 to go for a 6-1 victory to end the weekend series.

Notes
- The Griffins are now 6-4-0-0 all-time against the Gulls.
- Grand Rapids went 5-for-12 on the power play against San Diego this weekend.
- The Griffins and Gulls combined for 39 goals in their four matchups this season.

Box Score
Grand Rapids 1 0 0 - 1
San Diego 2 1 3 - 6

1st Period-1, Grand Rapids, Andreasson 4 (Criscuolo), 4:47 (PP). 2, San Diego, Gawdin 4 (Drew), 9:00. 3, San Diego, Tracey 5 (Juolevi, Perreault), 15:39 (PP). Penalties-Weinger Sd (holding), 3:47; Newpower Gr (tripping), 5:36; Lacroix Gr (boarding), 14:58; Helleson Sd (holding), 16:20.

2nd Period-4, San Diego, Gawdin 5 (Juolevi), 1:42. Penalties-Lashoff Gr (holding), 11:21; Smith Gr (boarding), 14:47; Gawdin Sd (cross-checking), 15:33.

3rd Period-5, San Diego, Helleson 2 (Kindopp, B. Gates), 7:32. 6, San Diego, Gawdin 6 (Grimaldi), 12:36 (EN). 7, San Diego, Osipov 1 (Andersson, Juolevi), 14:32. Penalties-Lacroix Gr (unsportsmanlike conduct), 3:02; Osipov Sd (unsportsmanlike conduct), 3:02; Johansson Gr (interference), 4:45; served by Drew Sd (bench minor), 9:50; Brouillard Sd (interference), 9:50; Czarnik Gr (slashing), 12:04; Brouillard Sd (roughing), 12:04; Lashoff Gr (boarding), 19:53.

Shots on Goal-Grand Rapids 10-5-6-21. San Diego 13-10-13-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Grand Rapids 1 / 5; San Diego 1 / 6.
Goalies-Grand Rapids, Brattstrom 2-2-1 (35 shots-30 saves). San Diego, Dostal 5-7-0 (21 shots-20 saves).
A-6,595

Three Stars
1. SD Gawdin (hat trick); 2. SD Olli Juolevi (three assists); 3. SD Tracey (goal).

Record / Next Game
Grand Rapids: 7-8-1-0 (15 pts.) / Fri., Nov. 25 vs. Manitoba 7 p.m. EST
San Diego: 6-10-0-0 (12 pts.) / Wed., Nov. 23 vs. Tucson 7 p.m. PST

Photo by the San Diego Gulls