Reign Storm Back Late to Stun Stars in Texas Thriller
The Ontario Reign aren’t just winning games - they’re rewriting the script on what it means to be resilient.
Down 3-2 with under 15 seconds to play, Ontario pulled off a stunning comeback to beat the Texas Stars 4-3 on Saturday night in front of 6,778 fans at the H-E-B Center. It marked their second straight comeback win when trailing after two periods - and this one came with a dramatic flourish.
Guttman, Wright Deliver in the Clutch
Cole Guttman was the heartbeat of Ontario’s offense, scoring twice - including the game-tying goal with just 14 seconds left in regulation. With goaltender Erik Portillo pulled for an extra attacker, Guttman found space in the left circle, took a slick feed from Koehn Ziemmer, and roofed a shot over the glove of Texas netminder Rémi Poirier to make it 3-3.
And just when it looked like overtime was inevitable, Jared Wright had other plans.
With 1.4 seconds left, Wright fired a puck toward the crease from the left backboards that deflected off a Texas defender and snuck past Poirier. It was Wright’s ninth goal of the season and the final blow in a wild finish that saw Ontario score twice in the last 14 seconds.
Comeback Kings?
The Reign have now trailed after two periods in five of their last eight games - and they’ve won four of those, including three straight. That’s no fluke. Ontario is now 5-9-0 this season when trailing after 40 minutes, a number that’s trending in the right direction thanks to their recent late-game heroics.
Saturday’s win was a textbook example of how this team refuses to fold. Down 3-2 entering the third, they dominated the final frame, outshooting Texas 15-3 and controlling the pace with a sense of urgency that’s becoming a hallmark of their identity.
AHL Milestone for Isogai
Kenta Isogai gave Ontario its first spark, scoring his first AHL goal midway through the second period. The unassisted tally came off a wrist shot from inside the left face-off dot that beat Poirier glove-side and cut the Stars’ lead to 2-1. It was a confident finish from the rookie and a moment he won’t soon forget.
Just over two minutes later, Ontario cashed in on their second power play of the night. Guttman struck again - this time with a pinpoint wrister from the right face-off dot, set up by some crisp puck movement from Martin Chromiak and Nikita Alexandrov. That goal tied things at 2-2 and gave Guttman his third power-play goal of the season.
Texas briefly regained the lead late in the second on a booming slapshot from Michael Karow, but Ontario’s late-game push was simply too much to handle.
Portillo Stays Perfect Since Return
Goaltender Erik Portillo wasn’t tested often, but he was solid when called upon, stopping 17 of 20 shots to earn his fourth straight win since returning from injury. He’s now won eight consecutive decisions, anchoring a Reign team that’s gaining serious momentum.
On the other end, Poirier took the loss for Texas, finishing with 24 saves on 28 shots.
Special Teams Staying Sharp
Ontario’s power play continued to hum, converting once on three chances. That makes it three straight games with a power-play goal and eight of their last nine overall. Meanwhile, the penalty kill was perfect again - 3-for-3 on the night and 8-for-8 over the last three games.
What’s Next
The Reign and Stars won’t have to wait long for the rematch - they’re back at it Sunday afternoon in Texas. If Saturday night was any indication, fans might want to stick around until the final buzzer. This Ontario team doesn’t just play until the end - they thrive there.