One of the toughest things in sports, we’re told, is to beat a team three times in a season.
But three times in a week? Nearly impossible.
The San Diego Gulls found out first-hand on Friday, when they fell to the Ontario Reign 3-2 in their home opener at Pechanga Arena. Martin Chromiak and TJ Tynan scored late to put the home team away in front of 12,374 fans.
“The fans were great,” Gulls coach Matt McIlvane said. “It was fun to listen to them as we started pushing at the end. I just wish we gave them a little bit more to cheer for. So, we got to play a little more five on five hockey, a little bit more on the power play, but that part is in our control.”
Olen Zellweger and Pavol Regenda scored for the Gulls, who fell to 1-2 this season. They took two games from the Reign in Ontario last weekend, outscoring them 10-5. Zellweger’s goal was his first as a pro.
“Just trying to be in the right spots for my teammates, offensively and defensively, because that’s really where the offense starts, you know, breaking the puck out well, shutting down their rushes and stuff like that,” Zellweger said. “So, you know, a lot of credit goes to my teammates, how they’ve been playing and moving the puck.”
Zellweger called his first home game as a Gull “awesome.”
“You know, I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I’ve heard (fans) are pretty crazy and into the game. That’s what it was; it was awesome. They were into it. Really excited to play here some more.”
San Diego trailed 2-1 at the end of the second period, then allowed a Tynan goal that made it 3-1 in favor of the visitors. Regenda’s goal with 12:50 remaining left made it a one-goal game.
The Gulls wore their throwback blue jerseys on a night in which they gave away vintage hockey-stick can coolers. Travis Howe channeled his hockey forefathers 3 minutes into the game, taking on his Ontario foe in a bruising brawl.
The Gulls will play in Tucson on Tuesday before returning home next Friday for a game against the Abbotsford Canucks. The puck drops at 7 p.m. in what’s being billed as the club’s Halloween celebration.
