Join the Reign On “Go Green” Night, This Saturday, March 7
ONTARIO, Calif. – The Ontario Reign, proud affiliate of the NHL Los Angeles Kings and AHL Manchester Monarchs, was defeated by the Utah Grizzlies Friday evening before a crowd of 5,560 fans at Citizens Business Bank Arena.
The Grizzlies took an early 1-0 lead when Utah opened up scoring in the match at 3:34. Right wing Vladimir Nikiforov tossed the puck behind Ontario netminder Jeff Zatkoff, off an assist from right wing Tim Verbeek. Utah notched the only goal in the first period, and the clubs headed into the second with the Reign looking for their first goal of the match.
After a Utah delay of game minor put the Reign on a power play, center Tim Kraus scored the equalizer for Ontario at 6:38 in the second period. Kraus received a feed from right wing Brad Mehalko and wristed the puck over Grizzlies goaltender Michael Mole’s shoulder from the sharp angle to the left of the net. Defenseman Darren McMillan also registered an assist on the power play goal.
Utah answered back less than a minute later. Vladimir Nikiforov picked up his second goal of the night when he fired  the puck at the goal and his bid bounced off of Zatkoff’s glove and into the net. The unassisted goal gave Utah a 2-1 lead.
At 12:33, Grizzlies left wing Evan Kotsopoulos launched a shot on goal, but Zatkoff made the save. It bounced off his pads, and Kotsopoulos backhanded the loose puck into the net before Zatkoff could slide over after making the first save. The Grizzlies held their 3-1 lead as the teams geared up for the final period of play.
Utah scored their third unanswered goal midway through the third period during a power play. Forward Mark Pavli sent a shot whistling towards the goal from just inside the blue line. Right wing Mike Walsh, who was positioned just above the crease, deflected the shot over Zatkoff. Center Rob Hennigar also notched an assist on the power play goal, and the Grizzlies took a 4-1 lead over the Reign.
Utah extended their lead to four at 12:01. Defenseman Tim Maxwell snapped the puck towards the net, but it bounced off the post and out to left wing Dan McDonald. McDonald chipped a shot over a sprawled-out Zatkoff. Left wing Scott Thauwald registered the secondary assist on the goal. The Reign was unable to catch up, and dropped the match to the Grizzlies with a final score of Utah 5, Ontario 1.
To view the box score, click here.
Three stars:
1. UTAH – V. Nikiforov
2. UTAH – T. Maxwell
3. UTAH – M. Mole
Notes:
• Tim Kraus is currently on a 2-game point streak (2g, 1a) (2/28/09-3/6/09)
REIGN DROPS
Attention Reign Fans! Team action photos are now available for online purchase at www.ontarioreign.com under the “Multimedia - Photo Gallery” tab. The Ontario Reign team photographer is Lee Calkins.
The Reign is Going Green on Saturday, March 7! The Reign and the Frontier Project joined forces, and fans will experience an Eco-Village, have the opportunity to recycle old cell phones for Chuck-A-Pucks, and watch the Reign take the ice in specially designed green jerseys! The first 4,000 fans in attendance will receive a limited edition green puck. The Reign will be auctioning off their game-worn jerseys after the game, with all proceeds benefitting the Frontier Project. The Foothill Communities New Generation Rotary Club will be hosting an electronic waste (E-Waste) recycling collection event in the parking lot of Citizens Business Bank Arena from 9 am – 4 pm. **AN EXTREMELY LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR SATURDAY!**
Wednesday, March 18, the Reign is extending a special ticket offer to their fans. Upper level tickets are only $5! Please note, this price does not include a $3 facility fee, and is subject to availability. This offer is only available at the Citizens Business Bank Arena box office.
Single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, at all TicketMaster locations, or by calling (213) 480-3232.
-www.ontarioreign.com-
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