Gulls' 2-1 Road Win in Cedar Park Opens Series; McIlvane Praises Defense

The San Diego Gulls opened their weekend series in Cedar Park with a 2-1 road victory over the Texas Stars at H‑E‑B Center at Cedar Park, a tight and low-event affair that stayed close through 60 minutes. The win extended the Gulls' road success and handed San Diego the series opener on Feb. 27, 2026.

Texas struck first early in the second period, but center Nathan Gaucher responded less than two minutes later to knot the score. Defenseman Nikolas Brouillard picked up the assist on Gaucher’s goal; that marker lifted Gaucher to 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points on the season, his eight goals matching his total from last year.

Brouillard’s assist continued a productive run for the blueliner, who has 0-3=3 points across his past five games. Brouillard emphasized the team’s approach after the game, saying, "I think that's our identity to play a real sound defensive game. So, if we keep doing what we did, placing puck behind our D's, always having their forwards in front of us, not making any turnovers at the blue lines or at the red lines, we're going to be just fine, and we're going to do the same as we did tonight."

San Diego finished with 24 shots on goal to Texas' 29, a contrast that underscored a close possession battle. The Gulls enter the game leading the AHL in shots on goal per game, a tempo the club leaned on even in a low-event contest where discipline mattered; only a single penalty was called through 60 minutes.

The game-deciding second San Diego goal gave the Gulls the eventual 2-1 margin, and the club’s defensive posture kept the Stars from capitalizing on their 29 shots. Official goaltender statistics and the identity of the game-winning goal scorer were not provided in the team release used for this report.

San Diego and Texas will finish the back-to-back series the next night at H‑E‑B Center at Cedar Park, with puck drop scheduled for 5 p.m. PST. The Gulls will look to build on Gaucher’s scoring pace and Brouillard’s defensive momentum as they aim for consecutive road results.