Reign Sweep Steelheads with 7-6 Win
February 19, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Ontario Reign News Release
ONTARIO, Calif. - The Ontario Reign (32-15-3-2), proud affiliate of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, swam upstream most of the game against the Idaho Steelheads (23-25-2-4), but sent the crowd of 5,459 at Citizens Business Bank Arena home happy with a 7-6 victory Sunday evening. Derek Couture and Kyle Kraemer each had three points and Pat Bowen got the game winner late in the third period to advance Ontario into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division.
The Steelheads jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period on a goal by David Fredriksson at 5:01 and a pair of goals by Aaron Lewicki...sort of. Lewicki's first goal came as J. F. Berube knocked the forward's shot to the side of the net where Everett Sheen accidentally redirected it into the Reign goal. Lewicki added a power-play goal at 16:33. Derek Couture got Ontario onto the scoreboard at 18:40 with his team-leading 23rd goal of the season. The Reign winger came from behind the Steelheads net where Bryan Hince stuck out his left leg pad to stop Couture's wraparound attempt. Couture went to plan-B and pushed both the puck and Hince's leg pad across the goal line for the score. Kevin Estrada and Geoff Irwin picked up assists.
Kyle Kraemer extended his point streak to 11 games with a power-play goal 6:20 into the second stanza. Chris Huxley's shot from the blue line generated a long rebound which Kramer buried to cut the Idaho lead to 3-2. Chad Nehring reclaimed a two-goal advantage for Idaho at 8:58 before Couture tallied his second goal of the night 14:17. Alan Mazur and Irwin worked the puck down to Couture on the side of the net where he went forehand-to-backhand and chipped it between Hince and the goal post. The clubs again traded goals, as Andrei Plekhanov scored for Idaho at 15:17 and Estrada answered at 18:37 for Ontario, as he knocked home a pass from Couture to send the game into the second intermission with the Reign trailing 5-4.
Chris Carrozzi took over between the pipes for Ontario to start the third period and gave up a goal 43 seconds in to Derek LeBlanc who took advantage of a bad bounce to give Idaho a 6-4 lead. The Reign finally tied the contest with goals by Kraemer and Sheen 2:46 apart and Jerry Kuhn replaced Hince in the Idaho net. Pat Bowen's power-play goal at 13:46 gave Ontario its first lead of the game. Huxley fed the puck to Bowen at the right point and the blueliner fired a booming slap shot into the top corner of the net for the 7-6 advantage. Carrozzi stopped the final eight Idaho shots to preserve the Reign's third one-goal victory in three nights.
Berube (10-8-2) made 18 saves before giving way to Corrozzi (13-6-3) who got the win. Kuhn (16-19-6) gave up only one goal on 10 shots, but suffered the loss as it was the game-winner. Hince (6-1-0) had 22 saves.
Three stars:
1) ONT- Derek Couture
2) ONT- Geoff Irwin
3) IDH - Aaron Lewicki
Reign Drops
The Reign head to Colorado for a three game series against the Eagles before returning home Wednesday, Feb. 29 to begin a three-game home stand against the Utah Grizzlies.
The game on Wednesday, Feb. 29 is an Oporto Fresh-Grilled Chicken Burgers $5 Wednesday game so make sure you take advantage of this great deal by picking up your vouchers at the Ontario or Rancho Cucamonga Oporto locations (no purchase necessary).
Friday, March 2, enjoy Free Wing Fridays courtesy of Hooters. Bring your Reign ticket to Hooters within 24 hours of the game to receive five free wings!
Saturday, March 3, the first 3,000 fans will receive a Shawn Germain Bobblehead, sponsored by Progressive Energy Solutions! You can also meet the players after the game and enjoy some great food at Boston's Gourmet Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar located on the corner of Milliken and 4th St. (11260 4th Street, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730). Show your ticket stub and receive 15% off your food order.
Be sure to stop by and visit George and the crew at the Royal Caribbean table during the all Reign home games to take advantage of these exclusive "Reign Fan" offers! Offers to include $50 shipboard credit per cabin, "Passport to Savings" booklet, book Allure & Oasis of the Seas by March 31st and receive a FREE spa treatment (some restrictions apply) and any bookings made by February 29 with a sail by March 31 they will receive a FREE Specialty Restaurant dinner on ANY Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Call (888) 798-9133 with any questions.
Call 909-941-PUCK (7825) or visit www.ontarioreign.com today for tickets to Reign home games.
• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...
ECHL Stories from February 19, 2012
- Late Surge Not Enough as Condors Fall 4-3 to Alaska - Bakersfield Condors
- Reign Sweep Steelheads with 7-6 Win - Ontario Reign
- Idaho Concludes Road Trip with One-Goal Loss - Idaho Steelheads
- Thunder completes run of three wins in three days - Stockton Thunder
- Offensive Funk Continues as Colorado Goes Winless in California - Colorado Eagles
- Titans Down Nailers in New Jersey - Wheeling Nailers
- Express Rolls Past K-Wings - Kalamazoo Wings
- Road Warriors Let Walleye Off The Hook In Overtime - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Three Goal First Period Lifts Express to 4-3 Win Over Wings - Chicago Express
- Rogers Lifts Toledo to 2-1 Overtime Win - Toledo Walleye
- ECHL Announces Fines, Suspension - ECHL
- ECHL Transactions - February 19 - ECHL
- Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Colorado Eagles - Stockton Thunder
- Countdown to Face-Off - Kalamazoo Wings
- Missiaen to AHL, Road Warriors Sign O'Brien - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Greenville Road Warriors Game Preview - February 19, 2012 - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Game Preview: Express at Kalamazoo Today - Chicago Express
- Garbutt Becomes 486th ECHL Player to Reach NHL - ECHL
- ECHL Today - February 19 - ECHL
- Alaska Clinches Playoff Berth with 9-4 Win - Alaska Aces
- 6,608 fans enjoy wire to wire victory - Stockton Thunder
- Trupp Scores Twice, But the Condors Fall in Anchorage - Bakersfield Condors
- Power Play Goals Lift Wranglers 2-1 Over Grizzlies - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Thunder Double-Up Eagles in First of Back-To-Back Meetings - Colorado Eagles
- Las Vegas Holds on to Beat Utah 2-1 - Utah Grizzlies
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.
