WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – The Ontario Reign (31-17-4-5), four-time ECHL Pacific Division Champions and proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s 2014 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets, could not complete a four-goal rally, losing to the Utah Grizzlies (29-22-5-3) by a 4-3 score in front of a crowd of 4,371 on Monday night at Maverik Center.
The Grizzlies opened the scoring in the first period, when T.J. Syner drove down the right wing side, and slid the puck through the crease across to Barry Almeida, who tipped the puck past Jussi Olkinuora at 12:40. 
Howard Lenz then gave Utah a two-goal lead when he stole the puck from an Ontario defender and swung down the left side and cut across the slot, burying a shot past Olkinuora at 14:41.
The Grizzlies continued their scoring with a power-play goal in the second frame, as Ryan Hayes whacked a loose puck in the crease past Olkinuora at 2:46.
Cam Wojtala then took a pass from the bottom of the right circle and roofed a shot past the blocker of Olkinuora at 9:00.
The Reign got on the board while on a five-on-three power-play, as Judd Blackwater slid the puck across to David Rutherford, who sniped the puck above the left shoulder of Igor Bobkov at 13:25. Matt Register added the secondary assist.
Ontario maintained its attack with a tic-tac-toe play that resulted in Todd Fiddler burying a shot past a sprawled Bobkov at 14:22 with assists from Everett Sheen and Ralfs Freibergs.
In the third period, Jeff May cut the Reign deficit to one goal with a score on the man advantage when he blasted a shot from the left point at 15:35. Register and Rutherford earned the assists on May’s goal.
With Olkinuora pulled for the extra attacker, the Reign nearly evened the score, but the Grizzlies’ net was knocked off its moorings with only seconds remaining.
Olkinuora took the loss with 22 saves; Bobkov earned the win with 29 stops.
Three Stars:
1. UTA – Barry Almeida
2. UTA – Igor Bobkov
3. UTA – Patrick Wellar
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