Heat Earn Point, Split Weekend with Ontario
April 10, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Stockton Heat News Release
ONTARIO, Calif. - The Stockton Heat (42-12-4-2) raced out to a 3-0 lead Sunday but could not hold on as the Ontario Reign (37-15-5-4) rallied for to take the final regular season meeting between the clubs by a 6-5 final score in a shootout Sunday.
By earning a point, the Heat became the sixth-ever Pacific Division team to reach 90 points in a season and are the fastest to ever reach that mark, needing three fewer games than the previous best of 63 games set by San Jose in 2016-17.
Justin Kirkland and Luke Philp led the Heat on the offensive end in a wild contest, the former notching a pair of goals and the latter recording a career-best three assists in the contest. Martin Pospisil also added a multi-point effort of his own with two helpers.
The visitors built their lead in the first half of regulation, Walker Duehr scoring 5:28 into the first then Nick DeSimone and Kirkland adding on early in the second. The Reign were able to get one back before the second intermission, Austin Wagner finding the back of the net to trim the gap to two.
A busy third period saw the teams combine for six goals, Stockton's pair coming from Connor Zary and Justin Kirkland, each putting the Heat ahead after Ontario had rallied to tie the game at 3-3 and 4-4. Akil Thomas, Martin Frk and Taylor Ward were the goal scorers for the home team in the final frame of regulation.
After a scoreless overtime period, the game went to a shootout - the third straight meeting between Stockton and Ontario that has required the skill competition. Kirkland lit the lamp in the first round for the visitors, then Fagemo and Anderson-Dolan scored in the second and third rounds to give the Reign the extra point.
NOTABLE
Walker Duehr netted his 10th goal of the season to open the scoring, the 11th Heat skater to reach double digits in the goal column this season.
Nick DeSimone pushed Stockton's lead to 2-0 with his third goal of the season, his first marker of the season against the Reign.
Justin Kirkland posted his third multi-goal game of the season. Stockton is now 6-2-0-1 on the year when he has a multi-point effort.
Luke Philp finished the game with a season-high three points on the night, all assists. It's his second career three-point game and first since November 11, 2019, when he scored twice and added one helper against San Diego.
The 13 seconds between Connor Zary and Martin Frk's goals matched the shortest amount of time between goals for each time this season in a Heat game, tying the gap from November 13 against Henderson.
Glenn Gawdin recorded his 100th AHL assist in the contest.
The Heat finish the regular season series against Ontario with a 5-2-0-1 record. Three of those games were decided in shootouts and four went beyond regulation.
Stockton's division-clinching 'Magic Number' is now eight points with eight games remaining.
SPECIAL TEAMS
STK PP - 1-for-5
STK PK - 3-for-4
THREE STARS
First - Taylor Ward (1g,1a)
Second - Austin Wager (1g,1a)
Third - Samuel Fagemo (1g)
GOALIES
W - Matthew Villalta (35 saves on 40 shots faced, 2 saves on 3 shootout attempts)
SOL - Dustin Wolf (28 saves on 33 shots faced, 1 save on 3 shootout attempts)
UP NEXT
Stockton heads to Henderson for three matchups against the Silver Knights, Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m. and a Saturday finale, a 4 p.m. puck drop.
American Hockey League Stories from April 10, 2022
- Reign Strikes Back in a Shootout - Ontario Reign
- Heat Earn Point, Split Weekend with Ontario - Stockton Heat
- Wild Blank Stars to Complete Weekend Sweep - Texas Stars
- Mcintyre Sparkles, Iowa Downs Texas 3-0 - Iowa Wild
- Roadrunners Comeback Attempt Comes up Short in Series Finale with IceHogs - Tucson Roadrunners
- Morelli Overtime Strike Wins Weekend for Hershey - Hershey Bears
- Griffins Split Weekend at Toronto - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Soderblom Holds off Roadrunners Late Rally as Hogs Sweep Tucson - Rockford IceHogs
- T-Birds Rally to Get Point against Hershey - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Noesen, Wolves Whiz Past Monsters - Chicago Wolves
- Monsters Second Period Push Not Enough in 5-2 Loss to Wolves - Cleveland Monsters
- Henderson Sweeps San Jose, 7-3 - Henderson Silver Knights
- MacLean's Shorty Propels Islanders past Phantoms - Bridgeport Islanders
- Phantoms Crank up Season-High 44 Shots in 4-2 Setback - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- 5 Things: Heat at Ontario - Stockton Heat
- Maxim Letunov the Overtime Hero as Wolf Pack Beat Checkers 4-3 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Checkers Snag Point, Fall to Wolf Pack in OT - Charlotte Checkers
- Canucks Stay Hot and Extend Win Streak to Four, Defeat Gulls 5-2 - Abbotsford Canucks
- Tucson Roadrunners' Bokondji Imama Suspended for One Game - AHL
- Anaheim Ducks Sign Blake McLaughlin to Two-Year Entry-Level Contract - San Diego Gulls
- Heat, Reign Cap Regular Season Series Sunday - Stockton Heat
- Hodgson Returned to Phantoms - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Toronto Marlies Look to Wrap up Weekend with Win vs. Grand Rapids - Toronto Marlies
- IceHogs Going for Series Sweep against Roadrunners on Pucks and Paws Night - Rockford IceHogs
- Wolf Pack and Checkers Conclude Three-Game Miniseries - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Game Preview: Thunderbirds at Bears, 5 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Game #61: Tucson at Rockford - Tucson Roadrunners
- Slow Start Costs Gulls - San Diego Gulls
- Amerks Power Play Makes the Difference as Belleville Sens Fall 6-2 - Belleville Senators
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.
