Reign Sneak Past Steelheads 2-1
November 23, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Ontario Reign News Release
BOISE, Idaho - The Ontario Reign (9-6-0-2), four-time Pacific Division Champions and proud affiliate of the NHL's 2014 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets, prevailed over the Idaho Steelheads (11-5-1-0) by a 2-1 score in front of a crowd of 4,956 on Saturday night at CenturyLink Arena.
The Reign were denied a chance to get on the board at 12:36 of the first period, when Rocco Carzo drove towards the Idaho net, but Carzo was whistled for goaltender interference on Olivier Roy; Ontario successfully managed to kill the penalty.
Throughout the opening frame, the Steelheads peppered the Reign net, but netminder Jussi Olkinuora made several great stops to hold Idaho at bay.
In the second period, an elbowing penalty to Eamonn McDermott at the 2:30 mark sent Ontario to the power-play, and the team capitalized when Matt Register passed the puck along to Geoff Walker. Walker moved the puck ahead for Tyler Spurgeon from the left circle, and after Spurgeon's attempt was denied by Roy, Walker snuck in behind the play and buried a shot in the back of the net to give the Reign a 1-0 lead at 3:58.
Ontario's conversion with the man advantage continued later on in the frame, after Charlie Dodero was sent to the box for hooking Everett Sheen at 16:53. The Reign made the Steelheads pay when Matt White moved the puck up along the right wall back to Ralfs Freibergs at the blueline, and the defenseman unleashed a slap shot that made its way through traffic to beat Roy at 17:42.
Idaho finally solved Olkinuora at 19:26, when Alex Belzile and Steve Quailer teamed up to steal the puck behind the Ontario net. Quailer sent a pass into the slot for Jason Bast, and the Steelheads forward blasted a shot past Olkinuora.
In the third period, Olkinuora continued to turn aside chances from Idaho, including last-ditch efforts from Dodero and Jordan Sims to close the game out in favor of the Reign.
• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...
ECHL Stories from November 23, 2014
- Owen Stonewalls Condors, Thunder Win 4-1 - Stockton Thunder
- IceMen Clobber Greenville in Fight Filled Victory - Evansville IceMen
- Snake-Bitten Condors Fall in Stockton - Bakersfield Condors
- IceMen Defeat Warriors 6-2 on Sunday - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Royals Score Early and Hold on for Second Straight Win over Indy - Reading Royals
- Mavericks Drop Mallards in Shootout - Kansas City Mavericks
- ECHL Transactions - November 23 - ECHL
- Jackals Blanked by Hartzell, Nailers 2-0 - Elmira Jackals
- Royals Outlast Fuel, 2-1 - Indy Fuel
- Thunder Drop Tight One in Tulsa, 3-2 - Wichita Thunder
- Booras' Power Play Strike Helps Oilers Edge Thunder - Tulsa Oilers
- Mavs Rally Overcome Mallards in Shootout - Quad City Mallards
- Hartzell Halts Jackals with 38-Save Shutout - Wheeling Nailers
- Stingrays Fall Short to Solar Bears, 2-0 - South Carolina Stingrays
- Kennedy Returned to IceMen by Utica - Evansville IceMen
- Jackals Sign Daniels; Marotta Returns from Rochester - Elmira Jackals
- Thunder Go for Three Straight vs. Condors - Stockton Thunder
- ECHL Announces Fine - ECHL
- Forward Andrew Cherniwchan Returns to the Lowcountry - South Carolina Stingrays
- Nailers at Jackals Game Day Snap Shot - Wheeling Nailers
- Game Day Capsule: Wichita at Tulsa - Wichita Thunder
- Jackals Hunt for Seven in a Row at First Arena Today - Elmira Jackals
- ECHL Today - November 23 - ECHL
- Americans Sweep The Beast - Allen Americans
- Thunder Boss Around Condors 7-4 - Stockton Thunder
- Jackals Hammer Nailers, 6-3 - Elmira Jackals
- Joneses Combine for Seven Points in Condors Loss - Bakersfield Condors
- Beast Come up Short in Lone Star State - Brampton Beast
- Offense Comes Alive in Shutout Win vs. Mavericks - Wichita Thunder
- Kalamazoo loses 7-3 to Cincinnati - Kalamazoo Wings
- Reign Sneak Past Steelheads 2-1 - Ontario Reign
- Eagles Topple Grizzlies 2-1 - Colorado Eagles
- Olkinuora, Reign Hold off Steelheads, 2-1 - Idaho Steelheads
- Americans Win Fifth Straight, Defeat Brampton 4-1 - Allen Americans
- Missouri Struck Down with 6-0 Defeat - Kansas City Mavericks
- Colorado Holds on 2-1 over Utah - Utah Grizzlies
- Royals Explode for Four in the Third to Pull Off Epic Comeback, 4-3 - Reading Royals
- IceMen Kapow-Ed by Batman Clad Walleye - Evansville IceMen
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
