Storyline: The Ontario Reign (30-14-1-1) defeated the Bakersfield Condors (25-13-7-0) Friday night by a final score of 4-3 in in front of 5,138 fans at Dignity Health Arena. The Reign will host the Condors Saturday night at 6 p.m. PST.
After falling behind 1-0 just 92 seconds into the game, Aatu Jämsen and Cole Guttman scored in the second period as the Reign led 2-1 going into the third period. Midway through the final 20 Glenn Gawdin stretched the lead to a pair but the Condors pulled within one on an extra attacker score with 2:59 remaining. Jared Wright scored an empty netter with 1:50 to play but Bakersfield scored another extra attacker goal with 44 seconds left but the Reign would prevail.
The Condors led 1-0 after the first period on a goal from Luke Prokop which came 92 seconds into the contest when he sent a wrist shot from the right point into the top left corner. Shots were 8-6 Reign in a penalty free period.
Ontario got on the board twice in the middle frame taking a 2-1 lead into the dressing room through 40 minutes. The Reign had a five-on-three power-play for about 90 seconds midway through the stanza but were unable to convert and Erik Portillo made a massive short-handed breakaway save. Aatu Jämsen (11th) tied the score at 10:09 on a deflection at the top of the crease after Joe Hicketts flung the puck to the cage from the left-wing wall. With 3:09 remaining in the period Cole Guttman (16th) provided a deflection near the net off a point shot from Angus Booth giving the Reign their first lead of the night. Shots were 18-8 Ontario in the period as they went 0-for-2 on the man advantage.
With about three and a half minutes left in the game the Condors pulled Tomkins for the extra attacker and James Hamblin scored on a rebound near the crease making it a one-score game with 2:59 to play. Jared Wright (12th) scored an empty netter with Erik Portillo receiving the assist making it a 4-2 advantage with 1:50 to play. Once again the Condors pulled Tomkins for the extra skater and Viljami Marjala scored on a wrist shot in the high slot making it 4-3 but the Reign would eventually prevail despite being outshot 7-3 in the final stanza.
Erik Portillo made 18 saves on 21 shots earning the victory while Matt Tomkins suffered the loss making 25 saves on 28 shots. The Reign went o-for-2 on the power-play while the Condors were 0-for-2.
Postgame thoughts from Andrew Lord, Glenn Gawdin, and Aatu Jämsen.
Lord
Gawdin
Jämsen