Reign Earn Sweep at Tucson
Published on February 22, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Ontario Reign News Release
The Ontario Reign (34-16-1-1) defeated the Tucson Roadrunners (22-19-8-0) Sunday night by a final score of 5-3 in in front of 3,792 fans at the Tucson Convention Center collecting a two-game series sweep. The Reign will next be in action on Sunday hosting Bakersfield at 3 p.m. PST.
Jared Wright scored a pair of goals for his first career multi-goal game burying a short-handed goal at the end of the second period making it 5-3, then he provided the empty net score with 66 seconds remaining. Andre Lee had a three-point game with two goals, including one on the power-play while Kenny Connors tallied two assists and Martin Chromiak finished with a power-play score and an assist.
Ontario held a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes of play as Andre Lee (20th) struck at 6:28 from Martin Chromiak and Kenny Connors on the Reign's first shot of the game as the Roadrunners held the edge in shots 7-4. Lee sent a wrist shot from just above the inner left circle past the right shoulder of Villalta.
The Reign led 4-2 through 40 minutes of play outscoring the Roadrunners 3-2 in the middle frame with four of the five scores coming on special teams. Scott Perunovich tied the score at 1-1 with a low wrist shot from the right circle at 6:03. Ontario went on the power-play at 8:32 and it took Andre Lee (21st) just 13 seconds to find the back of the net from Aatu Jämsen and Samuel Bolduc giving the Reign a 2-1 advantage. Jämsen at the top of the right circle fed Lee below the circle where he beat Villalta short side on a low wrist shot. Then at 13:17 Martin Chromiak (17th) doubled the lead on the man advantage from Glenn Gawdin and Nikita Alexandrov. Up top Gawdin spun the puck to Chromiak at the left circle where he blasted a one-timer upstairs making it 3-1. Tucson pulled back within one when Austin Poganski struck on the man advantage with 4:47 remaining in the period on a backdoor setup over at the right side of the crease on a feed from Daniil But at the left circle. The Reign went short-handed with 65 seconds left in the stanza and it would be Jared Wright (13th) pushing the lead back to a pair with a shorthanded score with 19 seconds left from Kenny Connors. Connors collected the puck behind his own blue line and pushed the pace down the right wing. He drove the puck across the attacking line and found Wright streaking through the high slot. Wright collected the puck in the high slot and flipped a fore hand shot past Villalta at the top of the crease making it 4-2. Shots were 13-11 Tucson in the period.
Tucson made it a 4-3 deficit with 3:19 left in regulation when Kevin Rooney scored shorthanded on a shot from the high slot. The Roadrunners then pulled Villalta shortly after for a extra attacker situation but with 66 seconds left Jared Wright (14th) would seal the deal for Ontario with an empty net score making it a 5-3 final.
Erik Portillo earned the win making 25 saves on 28 shots while Matthew Villalta suffered the loss making 20 saves on 24 shots. Each team scored a short-handed goal while the Reign finished 2-for-5 on the power-play and the Roadrunners were 1-for-3.
1st 2nd 3rd FINAL
ONT 1 3 1 5
TUC 0 2 1 3
Shots PP
ONT 25 2/5
TUC 28 1/3
GAME PHOTOS | FULL RECAP
Three Stars -
1. Andre Lee (ONT)
2. Jared Wright (ONT)
3. Martin Chromiak (ONT)
W: Portillo
L: Villalta
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