The Ontario Reign looked to bounce back from their shootout loss Friday night as they squared off against the first place Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Aaron Dell got the start in the crease for Ontario, as did Chris Driedger for Coachella Valley.
Coachella Valley outplayed Ontario for the majority of the first period, although both teams had some good chances.
It was a different story in the second period. Coachella Valley kept the Reign on their heels for a large part of the middle frame.
Although the Firebirds dominated in the second period, largely due to their fast transitions and smooth zone entries, the game was kept scoreless.
In the final frame, Coachella Valley broke through first, thanks to Ville Ottavainen ripping a shot from the right point past the shoulder of Dell.
With 55 seconds to go, Samuel Fagemo evened the score with a wrist shot from the left circle, setting the arena into a frenzy.
Then, with 33 seconds left, Aaron Dell saved the game with a beautiful flash of the glove, lying on his side, keeping the score at one a piece.
Jacob Moverare put the game away with an overtime goal, sending one past the blocker of Driedger.
It was the Reign’s first home win since January 6th, when they beat the San Jose Barracuda, also in overtime.
Here are my three takeaways from the win
Aaron Dell Was Phenomenal
Dell turned away 33 of the 34 shots that came his way Friday night. I mentioned his game saving stop that kept the game tied.
All game, Coachella Valley had the better of chances, especially in the second period. Dell was the main factor in the Reign’s win, and was the very deserving first star of the game.
Playing Up To The Competition
Outside of the middle frame, the Reign played really well against the first place Firebirds. All season long, these two teams have played really tightly contested games.
As we know, the Reign have really struggled as of late, and was a real treat to not only see the Reign compete with the Firebirds, but to also get two points against them.
Veterans Leading The Way
All the veterans contributed to this contest. TJ Tynan with two assists, Samuel Fagemo with the game tying goal, Jacob Moverare with the winning goal, and of course, Aaron Dell showing up.
The Reign will need to turn around and get focused, as they head down to San Diego to face the rival Gulls Saturday night.