Gulls Close Out Season with 6-4 Finish, Achieve Best Record Since 2018
AHL San Diego Gulls

Gulls Close Out Season with 6-4 Finish, Achieve Best Record Since 2018

Published on April 18, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


The San Diego Gulls wrapped up the 2025-26 American Hockey League season with a 6-4 loss to the Coachella Valley Firebirds Saturday night at Pechanga Arena. The Gulls end the regular season with a 33-27-8-4 record and a .542 points percentage, the team's best record in a full season since the 2018-19 season (36-24-5-3, .588).

Tonight's attendance was 12,920, San Diego's second sellout of the season (also Jan. 31 vs. Ontario).

Justin Bailey scored his 25th goal of the season, ending the regular season as the team leader in goals, and collected his 17th assist. Bailey posted five goals and six points in the last six games of the campaign (5-1=6). His 25 goals are fourth-most by a San Diego skater in a single season in Gulls AHL history.

Stian Solberg scored his 12th goal of the season, tying the Gulls AHL record for goals in a single season by a rookie defenseman (also Brandon Montour, 2015-16 & Olen Zellweger, 2023-24). Solberg leads all AHL rookie defensemen in goals and ranks tied for fifth in points (12-12=24).

Sam Colangelo netted his sixth power-play goal, giving him 12 total on the campaign. Over the last 12 games of the season, Colangelo posted 3-11=14 points.

Matt Basgall scored the first professional goal of his AHL career.

Ryan Carpenter earned three assists (0-3=3), setting a season high for a single game. He finishes third in scoring among San Diego skaters with 17-31=48 points, the second-highest total in his AHL career.

Sasha Pastujov tallied his 36th assist of the campaign. He ends the season with a career-high of 21-36=57 points, which led all Gulls skaters. His 57 points are tied for the third highest in a single season by a Gulls skater (also Brandon Montour, 12-45=57, 2015-16 & Chris Mueller, 20-37=56, 2015-16).

Matthew Phillips picked up his 36th assist of the season. Phillips ends the regular season as the Gulls' co-leader in helpers and ranked second in points (16-36=52).

Cal Burke and Nikita Nesterenko each tallied an assist.

Tomas Sucnahek stopped 25 shots in relief.

Calle Clang stopped one shot before exiting in the first period.

The Gulls will open Calder Cup Playoff play on Wednesday, April 22, facing the Colorado Eagles at Blue Arena in the first game of their First Round three-game series (6:05 p.m. PDT).

POSTGAME QUOTES

SAN DIEGO GULLS

Center Ryan Carpenter

On the offensive production tonight and this season

I think since [Tim Washe] was up full time, I've maybe got a little bit more power play time. Sometimes it's just chemistry too, guys you're playing with. I think as the year went on there's been lines that have started to chill. But it was a tough one tonight. It was an exciting game to be able to come back like that. Disappointing to give up a goal late and the empty netter, man. We had a great crowd and so we're excited we're in the playoffs, would have been nice to at least get one home game with the way they show up for us all year. So maybe just extra motivation to win this series and try to get some home playoff games for them. Overall, I think this year, I've been here two years, this year was better than last year. There's a lot to be proud of, and now it's just a clean slate.

On playing Colorado in round one of the Calder Cup Playoffs

We changed hotels, so maybe that helped in Colorado. We're confident, we thought we played them hard the last time it was a four-game series. We're going to have to respect our opponent. A lot of it's going to come down to how we want to play. And like you said, these past couple of games, guys have been filtering in and out. There's been some guys that haven't been all year that have a bright future but still learning like systems and in and out. That was their full lineup tonight, a good team that's pretty high in the standing so we thought we competed hard. Some guys had to play on a back-to-back with travel in Ontario last night. And so, we thought we had a good effort. It was too bad we came up short.

On what the team will prepare for the postseason

Just get some sleep, take care of your body. And then we know we're going to have to hydrate well with the altitude in Colorado, but it'll be nice. We're going there a day early. We're going to practice here on Monday. We'll get there on Monday afternoon and be able to adjust to mountain time zone and a little bit of the altitude and be able to hydrate and get comfortable and just get our minds ready for what we want to do together as a team.

Head coach Matt McIlvane

On what the team has accomplished this season

It's a big step, like we went into this season and then our thought was that we had something to prove. There's a group full of winners with something that we felt like we all had to show and being able to make it to the playoffs is a big step. There's no question. And earning the opportunity to go fight, to keep playing, it's a really exciting time of year when you look back at the whole season, certainly full of ups and downs and change, et cetera, but there's a lot to be proud of.

On the lineup heading into playoffs

We have four lines that are going to be capable of defending, capable of scoring. I feel like we've got depth at the goaltending position. Our defense is deep as well. It's just going to be a matter of being able to execute our basics at the highest level. We're really excited for that opportunity.

On signing a contract extension

Just feel very grateful. Grateful, obviously, to Pat [Verbeek], [Rick] Paterson and the Samuelis and I feel grateful to work with great people. Paterson, and we have an unbelievable coaching staff and support staff, and the guys are great. So, it's a huge blessing for my family. Kids don't have to change schools, and they love it here. I tell everybody, my family is thriving in San Diego, and it's a blessing to be in this position, coaching this team in this building in front of America's finest fans. So very grateful to keep, keep fighting and keep trying to pull the Gulls to the next level.

On earning a home playoff game

I mean, that's our goal. Our goal is to earn a home game. And I think that's a wonderful goal. We're going here with the mentality that we have got a job to do. We've got a lot of belief in what we're capable of, and to be able to play in front of these fans again, would be a huge blessing.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 18, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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