Colorado Comes up Short in 2-1 Loss at Ontario
Feb 17, 2021
EL SEGUNDO, CA. – Colorado forward Shane Bowers scored the team’s lone goal as Colorado fell to the Ontario Reign, 2-1 on Wednesday. Reign forwards Arthur Kaliyev and Blaine Byron each found the back of the net. Colorado goaltender Trent Miner made his second-consecutive start in net, making 37 saves on 39 shots in the loss.
Each team would earn a power play in the early stages of the contest, but neither side would be able to capitalize. The game’s first big opportunity came on a shorthanded rush down the ice by Reign forward Samuel Fagemo, who would be hooked from behind, leading to a penalty shot at the 8:24 mark of the first period. Fagemo would be denied by a save with the right leg pad from Miner and the contest would remain scoreless.
As the opening period entered the waning minutes, Ontario would earn a 5-on-3 power play and the Reign would make it count. Kaliyev settled a puck in the left-wing circle and fired it into the back of the net to give Ontario the 1-0 edge with just 2:33 remaining in the period.
Still ahead 1-0 as the two teams stepped onto the ice for the second period, the Reign would build upon that advantage when Byron fielded a cross-slot pass at the side of the crease and banked the puck past Miner to give Ontario a 2-0 lead at the 13:09 mark of the middle frame. Colorado would not suffer from a lack of chances, outshooting the Reign 18-9 in the second period. However, Reign goaltender Matthew Villalta would keep the scoresheet clean and Ontario would head to the second intermission still on top, 2-0.
Desperately needing some offense in the final 20 minutes of regulation, it would instead be the Reign who would carry the bulk of the momentum, outshooting the Eagles, 15-4 in the third period. However, with Miner pulled in favor of the extra attacker in the final 30 seconds of the contest, Bowers would step into a one-timer from the bottom of the right-wing circle to get Colorado on the board and trim the deficit to 2-1 with 19 seconds left to play. The Eagles would not be able to find the equalizer, falling by a final score of 2-1.
Colorado was outshot in the contest by a final count of 39-29 and finished the game going 0-for-4 on the power play. Villalta claimed the win in net, stopping 28 of the 29 shots he faced, while Ontario converted on one of the team’s four power-play opportunities.
Colorado will continue its five-game road trip when the Eagles travel to take on the Ontario Reign on Friday, February 19th at 7:00pm MT. Fans can catch every game this season live on “The Home of the Colorado Eagles,” 92.9 The Bear or on AHLTV.
