The Ontario Reign wasted no time reasserting themselves in front of a home crowd Wednesday night, jumping all over the Tucson Roadrunners early and never looking back in a commanding 5-1 win at Toyota Arena. Fueled by a three-goal first period and strong goaltending from Pheonix Copley, the Reign snapped back into form with a complete team effort that checked all the boxes-offensive execution, special teams impact, and a bounce-back mentality.
Fast Start, Full Control
If there was any doubt about how Ontario would respond after a tough stretch, they erased it in the opening 20 minutes. Jacob Doty got things rolling less than three minutes in, showing great poise and power as he worked the puck into the left circle and ripped a shot past Jaxson Stauber’s blocker. It was Doty’s second of the season, and more importantly, it set the tone.
Then came a bit of puck luck-but the kind you earn. At the 10:26 mark, Kirill Kirsanov dumped the puck into the right corner from center ice.
It took a quirky bounce off the glass and landed right on Martin Chromiak’s stick in the right circle. With Stauber behind the net expecting to handle the puck, Chromiak had the easiest finish he’ll see all year-his 16th of the season.
Eight seconds later, the Reign struck again. Off the ensuing faceoff, Tucson won the draw at center ice but quickly turned it over.
Chromiak found Glenn Gawdin in the left circle, and the veteran forward didn’t miss, hammering a one-timer glove side for his ninth of the year. Just like that, it was 3-0 Ontario before the period was even halfway over.
Tucson held a slight edge in shots (8-7) in that opening frame, but the Reign were the ones dictating the pace-and the scoreboard.
Tucson Gets One Back, But Ontario Stays Steady
The Roadrunners showed some life in the second period, finally solving Copley on the power play. At 14:10, Cam Hebig fired a puck toward the net from the right circle, and Kevin Rooney got a piece of it on the way through, redirecting it past Copley to cut the lead to 3-1.
Ontario had chances to extend their lead in the middle frame, but credit Tucson for tightening up defensively. Still, the Reign carried a two-goal cushion into the third, and they weren’t about to let it slip.
Power-Play Precision and a Cherry on Top
With six minutes left in regulation, Ontario’s power play-already on a hot streak at home-delivered again. Aatu Jämsen, parked at the left circle, received a cross-ice feed from Andre Lee and snapped a quick wrister past Stauber. That made it 4-1 and effectively iced the game.
Francesco Pinelli added the exclamation point with an empty-netter in the final minutes, extending his point streak to four games and capping a night where the Reign looked locked in from the jump.
Between the Pipes
Pheonix Copley didn’t have to stand on his head, but he was sharp when called upon, stopping 17 of 18 shots and showing why he’s such a steadying presence in net. For Tucson, it was a rough outing for Stauber, who allowed four goals on 19 shots before the empty-netter sealed things.
Both teams finished 1-for-2 on the power play, but Ontario’s streak of scoring with the man advantage at home now stretches to nine straight games-a sign of a unit that’s clicking at the right time.
Postgame Reactions: Confidence, Chemistry, and a Fresh Start
Head coach Andrew Lord praised the group’s response, especially after a rocky opening few shifts where Tucson applied early pressure.
“Copley was really good there,” Lord said. “Doty, give him credit.
What a goal. He really got us started.
Then we get a bounce, which we’ll take. But then give Gawdin and Chromiak credit, right away the next faceoff-really nice seam pass into a really good release by Gawdin.”
Lord also emphasized the importance of Jämsen’s power-play goal in sealing the win, noting the team’s composure after Tucson pulled within two.
Martin Chromiak, who finished with a goal and an assist, echoed the team’s collective mindset.
“Everyone knew we’re not a team that’s going to lose three games in a row,” he said. “We were on the same page tonight, and I think we did a pretty good job overall.”
Chromiak also spoke about his chemistry with Gawdin, saying their time together on the same line has been a major boost to his development.
“He’s a great player. Last year, it was huge for me when I got put on his line. He showed me basically the way-how to play the right way.”
Jack Millar, back in the lineup after missing 31 games, was simply grateful to be back on the ice.
“I’m grateful for everybody in the organization-strength staff, athletic trainers. Means a lot to be back out here.”
Millar also pointed to the team’s mindset shift after a tough weekend.
“We had a day off, and that was a long stretch we went on. Just trying to regroup.
That’s not who we are as a team. We wanted to come back, have a good start.
That was important.”
Looking Ahead
With the win, Ontario improves to 29-14-1-1 and keeps pace near the top of the standings. They’ll hit the road Friday night for a matchup in Bakersfield, looking to carry this momentum into another tough divisional tilt.
If Wednesday night was any indication, this group knows how to respond-and how to strike early.