Tied 1-1, Coachella Valley and Ontario reignite their playoff clash. Home ice beckons as both teams battle for crucial Pacific Division semifinal advantage.
Coachella Valley is now two games in to their second round match up against the Ontario Reign. The Reign held the number one seed at the end of the regular season but the Firebirds managed to come out victorious in just under half of their regular-season games.
So far, the Pacific Division Semifinals are going the same way. The Firebirds took game one in a 3-0 shutout. Goaltender Nikke Kokko fended off 23 shots and was given first star for his effort. Two goals by JR Avon and a third from Oscar Fisker Mølgaard secured the win for Coachella Valley.
Game two went the opposite direction. Lleyton Roed opened the scoring at 7:52 in the first period, and from then on Reign goaltender Phoenix Copley said “no more!” It is notable that the Reign switched goaltenders from game one to game two (Erik Portillo was minding the net in game one). Ontario put up five goals by five different players during the contest, finishing with a decisive 51 victory.
The series makes its way to Coachella Valley now, where the next two games will take place at Acrisure Arena. The home ice advantage worked well for the Firebirds in round one. The teams have a couple days off before they take the ice on May 5th for game three. Game four will be on May 7th (also in Coachella Valley). If a game five is needed, the teams will return to Ontario on May 9th.