Gulls clinch home ice vs. Reign, first round series schedule released

The Ontario-San Diego first round Calder Cup playoff schedule is out and the series will feature a familiar “every other game” format. Game 1 is next Friday, April 21 in San Diego at 7 p.m.

With the Gulls’ 5-1 win against Bakersfield on Wednesday night, the Ducks affiliate clinched home ice advantage in the best-of-5 first round which be a 1-1-1-1-1 format as each team will take turns hosting games. San Diego will finish No. 2 in the Pacific and the Reign will seed third.

The two teams met in the second round last season in a best-of-7 1-1-1-1-1-1 matchup which the Reign won, four games to one.

The schedule as released by the Gulls is as follows:

Game 1: Friday, April 21 at San Diego, 7 p.m. PT
Game 2: Saturday, April 22 at Ontario, 7 p.m. PT
Game 3: Friday, April 28 at San Diego, 7 p.m. PT
*Game 4: Monday, May 1 at Ontario, 7 p.m. PT
*Game 5: Tuesday, May 2 at San Diego, 7 p.m. PT
(*if necessary)

“All good. Great match up,” Reign head coach Mike Stothers said via text Wednesday night when asked about the 1-1-1-1-1 schedule. “The atmosphere will be electric in both buildings. You could throw two nets in the middle of the 15 and it would still be great hockey…it’s the Reign, and the Gulls, in the playoffs!!!”

The Gulls and Reign will wrap up the regular season by facing one another in a home-and-home on Friday in Ontario and then Saturday in San Diego. The Reign are 6-3-1-0 against the Gulls this season, including back-to-back wins last week.