REIGN FINAL – Reign 2, Firebirds 5 – Pinelli, Sturm

The Coachella Valley Firebirds (2-2-0-0) scored three times in the first period to take a commanding lead on their way to a 5-2 defeat of the Ontario Reign (1-3-0-0) Friday night at Acrisure Arena.

Pheonix Copley was under siege in the game but managed to stop 35 of the 39 shots that came his way in the contest. While the Reign fell behind early, forwards Shawn Element and Francesco Pinelli each netted their first goals of the season to keep the team in the game.

BOX SCORE

The Firebirds came out hot in the first period, scoring three times to go into the first intermission with a big lead. Max McCormick got the scoring started with his first strike of the season on the first shift of the game for Coachella Valley, making it 1-0 just 35 seconds in.

Jacob Melanson added to the early lead, putting the home team in from 2-0 by scoring on a wraparound that came just after a 2-on-1 rush into the Ontario zone at 12:58. The Reign had a late power play with a chance to cut into the lead, but Ryan Winterton had other ideas, taking off on a shorthanded breakaway to beat Copley at 16:04 with two seconds remaining in the man-advantage chance and make it a 3-0 score at the first intermission.

Coachella Valley piled up 19 shots on goal during an active opening frame, putting the Reign on their heels.

Element got Ontario on the board at 14:30 of the second, scoring his first in a Reign sweater off a feed by Jack Studnicka at the left circle. A second assist on the play was credited to Reilly Walsh, his first point as a member of Ontario.

Although the Reign were gaining momentum later in the period, Coachella Valley’s Jani Nyman put the Firebirds back on top by three goals with 25 seconds left in the frame and the Firebirds skated back into their dressing room with a 4-1 lead.

Pinelli put Ontario back within two at 6:27 of the third, batting the puck out of the air after driving to the net in the offensive zone.

The Reign continued their comeback efforts for the remainder of the final frame, pulling Copley for an extra attacker with five minutes left on the clock during a 4-on-4 situation, but were unable to get anything else past Coachella Valley netminder Ales Stezka.

Stezka finished the contest with 28 stops to even the Firebirds’ record at 2-2 for the year.

Logan Morrison sealed the win for Coachella Valley with an empty-net goal at 18:47 of the third, putting the game out of reach for Ontario.

Neither team was able to convert on the power play in the contest, with the Firebirds ending at 0-for-5 and the Reign finishing 0-for-4 on the man-advantage.

Below, hear thoughts from Pinelli and Reign head coach Marco Sturm –

Francesco Pinelli

Marco Sturm

Ontario returns home for the first of three consecutive matchups against the Henderson Silver Knights on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Arena. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m.