Carpenter, Special Teams Propel San Diego Gulls to 6-4 Win

Ryan Carpenter scored twice on the power play, picked up an assist and finished with a three-point night as the San Diego Gulls defeated the Rockford IceHogs 6-4 at Pechanga Arena San Diego, snapping a three-game losing streak Saturday night, March 7, 2026. OurSportsCentral noted Carpenter’s tallies were his 100th and 101st career AHL goals, and he now has 14 goals and five power-play goals this season.

Special teams were decisive for San Diego: the Gulls went 3-for-4 on the power play and were perfect on the penalty kill, 4-for-4, including killing a 5-on-3 in the first period, SanDiegoGulls reported. The three power-play goals helped build and protect a lead in a game that saw multiple momentum swings.

Carpenter’s two power-play strikes, both coming with the man advantage, produced a season-high 2-1=3 line for the Gulls, according to OurSportsCentral. After the game Carpenter assessed the unit’s chemistry: “Even though they tied it up, we were able to roll on the power play. We've had the same units now for a little bit, and so there's some chemistry developing there, and maybe some reads that maybe early on we weren't able to make. And so, we stepped up and found a way to win. I'm sure we wanted to be better 5-on-5 and not give up as much, maybe find ways to create more. But at this point, we're going to take the win.”

Defenseman Stian Solberg scored on the power play as well, his ninth goal of the season and his second on the man advantage, boosting his season totals to 9-6=15 and tripling his point count from last year, SanDiegoGulls reported. OurSportsCentral added that Solberg ranks tied for second among AHL rookie defensemen in goals and tied for ninth among all AHL blueliners, highlighting his emergence on the blue line.

Coulson Pitre extended the lead early in the third, finding the back of the net just 14 seconds into the period; SanDiegoGulls noted that Pitre’s goal was his second of the season and was credited as the game-winner, his first this year. The win was sealed when Nikolas Brouillard buried an empty-netter with 17 seconds remaining, the 26th goal of his San Diego career and a mark that moved him into sole possession of the Gulls’ all-time goal lead for defensemen, while Brouillard’s season totals sit at four goals and 21 points, second among team defenders.

Goaltender Calle Clang made his first appearance in the crease since March 4, facing 28 shots and allowing four goals, SanDiegoGulls reported. The victory brings San Diego to 62 points in the standings, while OurSportsCentral lists the club’s record at 25-18-8-4, keeping the Gulls in sixth place in the Pacific Division. Special teams delivered the margin of victory as San Diego looks to convert the performance into sustained momentum down the stretch.