Cal Petersen’s 44-save performance, along with Quinton Byfield’s overtime heroics led the Reign to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Roadrunners.
Just seconds into the overtime period, Petersen made a tremendous glove save, and later in the frame, he denied a 2-on-1 rush from Tucson. Ontario was granted a power play, and they wasted no time. Byfield potted his seventh goal in his past five to lift the Reign over the Roadrunners.
It took the 28-year-old Reign netminder some time to get settled into Friday night’s game, yet he was magnificent in collecting his third win of the year. He kept Ontario in the game all night long and is a huge reason why the Reign picked up a point tonight, let alone two points and a win.
Special teams proved to be the difference in Friday night’s win over Tucson. Ontario capitalized on two of four man-advantages, including the overtime winner, and they killed off all three Tucson power plays.
Tucson scored first after Petersen mishandled a puck behind his net, he tried to get back into his crease but the puck bounced off his shoulder and ended up in the net. Just four minutes later, Lias Andersson knotted the game at one with a shot that snuck inside the right post for a power play goal. However, before the period came to a close, the Roadrunners regained the lead.
Early in the second period, Andre Lee notched his first pro goal, with a spin-around shot to even the score. For the rest of the period, Ontario was on their heels, and Tucson finally found the back of the net off a deflected shot. Ontario tallied just two shots in the second period, meanwhile, Tucson piled on 23.
Despite only six, third-period shots from the Reign, they found a way to, once again, tie the score up thanks to Helge Grans, who banged home a rebound. Friday night’s matchup was back and forth all night long, as no team was able to string a pair of goals together, in a row, until Ontario tied the game in the third, then won the game in overtime.
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