Gulls Dominate Condors in 7-4 Win

San Diego Gulls take down Bakersfield Condors in exciting AHL matchup

Mar. 21, 2026 at 5:37am

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The San Diego Gulls defeated the Bakersfield Condors 7-4 in an exciting AHL matchup at Pechanga Arena San Diego. The Gulls scored four goals in the first period, including tallies from Judd Caulfield, Stian Solberg, Matthew Phillips, and Justin Bailey. Tristan Luneau and Nikita Nesterenko also scored for the Gulls, while Cal Burke added an empty-net goal. Goaltender Tomas Suchanek made 15 saves to earn the victory for San Diego.

Why it matters

This win extends the Gulls' lead in the AHL standings and showcases their offensive firepower, with seven different players finding the back of the net. The Gulls' strong start and ability to respond to the Condors' goals demonstrate their resilience and competitiveness in the league.

The details

The Gulls came out firing in the first period, scoring four goals to take a commanding lead. Judd Caulfield, Stian Solberg, Matthew Phillips, and Justin Bailey all found the back of the net for San Diego. Tristan Luneau and Nikita Nesterenko added goals later in the game, while Cal Burke scored an empty-netter to seal the victory. Goaltender Tomas Suchanek made 15 saves to earn the win for the Gulls.

  • The scoring started early for the Gulls as Judd Caulfield put the puck through just 2:52 into the opening frame.
  • Matthew Phillips skated in his 400th career AHL game and made it a memorable one, finding the back of the net on the powerplay for the third San Diego goal.
  • Tristan Luneau put a snipe through to score what would ultimately be the game-winning goal, his second of the year.
  • Nikita Nesterenko put one through to make it six in the third period.
  • Cal Burke added one more for good measure, scoring his second goal of the season on the empty net.

The players

Judd Caulfield

The winger has found 16 goals this season and has totaled 35 points, 10 more than his total found last season.

Stian Solberg

The defenseman has found 10-7=17 points this season, with his 10 goals ranking tied for the most among rookie blueliners.

Matthew Phillips

Phillips skated in his 400th career AHL game and now totals 12-31=43 points this season, the second most of all Gulls skaters.

Justin Bailey

The goal broke a nine-game goal drought for Bailey, who leads all Gulls skaters in goals this season with 19.

Tristan Luneau

Luneau put a snipe through to score what would ultimately be the game-winning goal, his second of the year. The defenseman has recorded 5-10=15 points in his past 10 contests and leads all Gulls defensemen in points with 9-24=33 found.

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What they’re saying

“Feels good to be at home. Feels good to have our fans. I think we're comfortable playing at home as well. But we needed that start, and we got it. It's good for us.”

— Nathan Gaucher

“It's fun to have a goalie that battles hard every time, he never gives up. That's a big thing for us, and big thing for him too. So it's good. We have confidence in them, and both of our goalies are playing really good these days so it's really good. Like I said, he battles hard and never gives up.”

— Tyson Hinds

What’s next

San Diego will rest tomorrow before returning on Sunday, Mar. 22 to take on the Calgary Wranglers back at Pechanga Arena San Diego (5 p.m. PDT).

The takeaway

The Gulls' dominant performance, with seven different players scoring goals, showcases their offensive depth and ability to respond to adversity. Their strong start and goaltending from Tomas Suchanek were key factors in securing the victory over the Condors.