ONTARIO, CA. – Ontario forward Brett Sutter scored two goals, including the game-winner with just 2:47 remaining in regulation, as the Reign defeated the Colorado Eagles, 5-3 on Saturday. Eagles forward Tyson Jost paced the visitors, notching two goals in the contest while David Warsofsky and Sheldon Dries also posted multiple points in the loss.
Photo courtesy of Colorado Eagles
Colorado would open the scoring just 1:40 into the contest when forward Martin Kaut collected a pass on top of the crease and smashed it past Reign goalie Peter Budaj to give the Eagles a 1-0 advantage. The lead would grow to 2-0 just minutes later when forward Tyson Jost blistered a one-timer from the right-wing circle on the power play to light the lamp at the 6:00 mark of the first period.
Ontario would come storming back, scoring three goals in a span of 2:29. The onslaught started on the power play when forward Matt Moulson tipped a shot past Eagles goalie Spencer Martin to trim Colorado’s lead to 2-1 at the 12:24 mark of the opening frame. Less than 90 seconds later, a turnover in the Eagles zone would set up forward Brett Sutter to field a cross-slot pass at the side of the crease and bash the puck into the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2. The Reign would then grab its first lead of the night 47 seconds later when Moulson raced in to grab a loose puck in the left-wing circle before popping a wrister past Martin and putting Ontario on top, 3-2 at the 14:53 mark of the first period.
Trailing 3-2 after the opening 20 minutes of play, Colorado would tie things up late in the second on the power play when Jost swept a wrister from the top of the right-wing circle and through the five-hole of Budaj to knot the game at 3-3 with 2:19 remaining in the middle frame. Ontario would conclude the second period by outshooting the Eagles, 16-7.
The Reign continued to apply pressure in the third period, outshooting the Eagles 21-8 in the final 20 minutes of regulation. However, Martin and company would keep the score deadlocked at 3-3 until the late stages of the contest. Included was a full, five-minute major power play which was awarded to the Reign with less than eight minutes to play. Just moments after the successful penalty kill, Sutter would win a puck battle on the side of the net and flick a shot over Martin’s shoulder to give Ontario a 4-3 edge at the 17:13 mark of the third period.
Colorado would pull Martin in favor of the extra attacker, but it would be Ontario who would take advantage with an empty-net goal from forward Sheldon Rempal with 1:29 remaining in the contest to give the Reign the 5-3 victory.
Ontario outshot the Eagles, 51-27 as Colorado finished the night going 2-for-4 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill.
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