Idaho's Seven-Game Winning Streak Snapped in Ontario

The Idaho Steelheads (44-14-4) saw their seven-game winning streak come to a halt at the hands of the Ontario Reign (28-27-9), who won by a 7-4 score tonight at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. The Steelheads fell behind 5-0 before mustering a goal against the Reign. Ontario scored twice in the first period, and held the Steelheads off the board through one period. Tony Voce netted the first Ontario goal on the power play; a redirection from a point shot found its way around Idaho?s Richard Bachman at 4:08. At 17:56, Andrew Martens found a loose puck in front of Bachman after a scramble ensued following a foiled pass attempt by the Reign, and Martens fired the puck by Bachman for the 2-0 lead. Ontario tacked on three more in the second period, as Sean O?Connor and Geoff Walker each scored from near the top of the crease, and Voce capitalized on a turnover inside Steelheads territory for his second of the contest. After two period, Ontario led 5-0. Idaho got on the board in the third period at 0:53 when Tyler Spurgeon batted a puck home in front of the net for his 26th of the season on the power play to cut the Ontario lead to 5-1. Mark Derlago and Marty Flichel assisted on Spurgeon?s goal. After Greg Hogeboom countered for Ontario to make it 6-1, John Swanson scored on a wrist shot from the point to pull Idaho to within four goals. Brendan Milnamow assisted on Swanson?s 18th at 10:19. At 13:51, Matt McKnight carried up the right wing on a two-on-one, and fed one of Idaho?s new additions from Minnesota State University-Mankato, Kael Mouillierat, in front of the net for a one-timer goal that beat Ontario?s Mike Zacharias top-shelf. Barlow also assisted on Mouillierat?s first professional tally, which pulled Idaho to within three goals, leaving Ontario on top 6-3. At 18:44 with Idaho on the power play, Mark McCutcheon got a piece of a Flichel shot on the net to create his 13th goal of the season, and make the score 6-4 in Ontario?s favor. Ontario sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:27 of the third period, however, as Jon Rheault round a lane on the right wing with the net empty, and despite a diving effort from Milnamow, scored to give Ontario the three-goal lead again at 7-4. Richard Bachman suffered the loss for Idaho; he is now 20-6-3 after stopping 17 of 23 shots. Mike Zacharias is now 8-5-2 for Ontario after stopping 32 of 36 shots in the win for Ontario. The Steelheads and Reign have two games remaining in the current series, with the middle game coming on Saturday night in Ontario, California. The action gets underway at 8:00 PM MST. Idaho returns home on March 24th for the first game of a three-game set against the Victoria Salmon Kings.