Chase De Leo scored a pair of goals to lead the San Diego Gulls to a 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Admirals Friday at Pechanga Arena.
The Admirals staged a comeback in the third period after trailing 4-1. Phil Tomasino scored a power play goal at 11:45 to make the score 4-2. Cody Hodgson scored another power play goal at 16:32 to bring the Admirals within one, but De Leo scored an empty-net goal to seal the win for San Diego.
Defenseman Luke Prokop picked up his first American Hockey League point with an assist on Hodgson’s goal.
San Diego built a 2-0 lead in the first period. De Leo scored with a shot from the right face-off dot at 1:50 to give the Gulls a 1-0 lead. Nikita Nesterenko tallied at 19:16 of the first frame with a shot from the slot after a rebound off the pads of Admirals goalie Yaroslav Askarov.
San Diego’s Andrew Agozzino scored a power play goal at 6:14 of the second frame to give the Gulls a 3-0 lead.
Milwaukee got on the board with a power play goal at 14:21 of the second period. Joakim Kemell’s shot from the left circle trickled through the pads of Gulls net minder Calle Clang. It was Kemell’s 14th goal of the season and his sixth on the power play. Marc Del Gaizo and Zach L’Heureux recorded the assists.
The Gulls made it 4-1 at 17:23 of the second period when Glenn Gawdin finished an offensive zone rush with a shot from the slot for his 18th marker of the year.
Milwaukee plays at San Diego once more Sat., Mar. 16. The Admirals return to UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena Sat., Mar. 23 to host the Henderson Silver Knights.
