If a definition for the meaning of “back-and-forth game” were clearly defined, look no further than Friday’s Reign home finale where the team hosted a spirited fan appreciation night at Toyota Arena against their most heated rival, the San Diego Gulls.
They last met up a month ago in what was a bizarre game, where Ontario outshot the Gulls 42-13 but still lost 2-1, and it appeared to be fresh on the mind of coach Marco Sturm’s club, as they jumped out of the gate with a strong start and heavy shot mentality – outshooting the Gulls 16-8 in the first period alone.
The Reign earned the early lead with a goal by Franky Pinelli (11), centering the fourth line with Hayden Hodgson and Quinn Olson, a newly signed collegiate graduate from University of Minnesota-Duluth playing in his first professional career game. The 22-year-old was originally a third-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins in 2019.
Sturm’s new-look fourth line was noticeable the entire game, and their dependable play allowed Ontario’s bench boss to rotate four lines effectively against the visitors.
As it happened throughout the game, the Reign lead didn’t last, as the Gulls evened the game on a rush play to make it 1-1. Then just 1:18 later and on a power play, Ontario’s leading scorer Sammy Fagemo (40) returned to his office at the top of the left circle, was fed a crisp pass from Brandt Clarke, and one-timed a signature PP goal to take the 2-1 lead.
A special celebration by the Swede marked his career-high 40th goal, as he pumped four fingers to the crowd and tied the Reign’s season-high goal record, previously set by Martin Frk two seasons prior.
The Gulls mounted a press of their own and caused fits for Ontario over the next minutes of play. The physicality and the post-whistle scrums ensued – and for most of the second half of the game, every whistled stoppage was a green light for the pushing, slashing, and face-washing that seems to highlight every Ontario-San Diego match.
The effort paid off for the Gulls when they tied the game 2-2 before the end of the second period on a 4-on-3 power play.
Beginning the third in a dead heat, the Reign took the lead again with a Taylor Ward (9) penalty shot with poise and patience to beat the goaltender.
The lead was short-lived and the Gulls tied the game (again) only minutes later off a skillful individual effort to beat starting goaltender Erik Portillo. The 3-3 tie remained and lead the game to overtime – and then it happened.
In overtime, and on another power play, Fagemo (41) played hero once again with his elite one-timer – this time, off of a brilliant play from Alex Turcotte, who not only set up the pass but also the screen of the goaltender (all in the same play). The OT winner winner was Fagemo’s league-leading 10th game winning goal and his 41st of the season – to set the new franchise record for goals in a season.
The Reign head to Henderson Saturday to finish the week against the Silver Knights with only four games remaining on their season and all of them coming on the road.
Alex Turcotte: The 23-year-old scored the game-winning assist and set up the play that won the game. And while it was his only point of the game, Turcotte’s playmaking was an obvious impact throughout the night. His line with Ward and Tyler Madden combined for 11 shots on goal and was effective in hemming the puck in the San Diego zone for much of the game. All eyes are on the young forward to see which playoffs series he’ll be playing in – the Reign or the Kings (or both).
Franky Pinelli: Watching Pinelli grow over his first professional season, there’s a good argument that the 21-year-old is one of Sturm’s most improved player from the start of the season. He’s just scored his 11th goal of his rookie campaign with six goals over his past 18 games. And it’s not just his goal scoring that has caught attention. He’s playing a dependable game that has gained the trust of his bench boss and fellow teammates.
Rookie Portillo: The freshman goaltender has strung together five straight personal wins in which he’s had a .921 save-percentage and 2.40 goals-against-average. Portillo leads all Reign goaltenders with 36 starts this season which is 20 more starts than second-place David Rittich, who is currently serving as backup for the Kings.
Goalie Rotation: Mayor’s Manor spoke with Sturm after the game, and when asked about his goalie rotation for playoffs, he said he prefers to have a number one guy – and he’s hoping that guy becomes Portillo. Sturm is planning to test his rookie goaltender with a few consecutive games to get him ready for the opening three-game first round that will likely feature at least one back-to-back set. Look for Portillo to get the call in Henderson Saturday night as his first test.
Playoff Preparation: With the win against the Gulls, the Reign improve to a record of 19-6-7 in one-goal games. This is a statistic analyzed around this time of year to see how a team reacts in close games that mimic playoff-styled efforts. With a healthy mix of veteran leadership, depth scoring, dependable defense, and good goaltending, the Reign hope to find success in the upcoming playoffs.
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