OJR Lockdown third place in the Pacific Division

After securing the fourth consecutive playoff berth in the Pacific division, the Ontario Jr. Reign looked to lock down the third place to solidify a first-round road trip to Lake Tahoe. The OJR boys did exactly that, with wins over the San Diego Sabers and the Long Beach Bombers. 

The I-5 rivalry did not disappoint as the Jr. Reign put up nine goals, and a defensive clinic that included a shutout for goaltender Domenik McInenly. Red Deer, Alberta’s very own, saved all 22 shots he faced for the team’s sixth shutout of the campaign.   

Matteo Pero opened his OJR debut with a short-handed goal in under five minutes. Pero is no stranger to the silver and black, as he tallied 61 points for the Jr. Reign during the 2022-2023 season.  

Denver Craig followed up with two goals of his own later in the opening period, including a power-play goal that extended Ontario's lead to 3-0.  

Captain Jesiah Bennett netted his 13th goal of the season, with a stunning between the legs forehand shot, gliding the puck through the five-hole.  

The offensive onslaught continued, as Ethan Fraiser capitalized on a poor clearance by the Sabers, followed by another goal from Pero, all before the midway mark of the second period. 

During the final period, frustration mounted over San Diego, leading to game misconducts and power play opportunities for Ontario. 

Bennett capitalized in just over six minutes from a backdoor pass by Craig for a wide open tap-in to extend the lead to 7-0. 

All the while Pero secured his debut hat-trick at the midway point, as he found the top shelf from a wrist shot in the right circle.    

Luke Cannon added one last goal in the final two minutes, from a tight angle on the left side of the net, that off the post on deflected into the goal, to bring the final score to 9-0. 

The Ontario Jr. Reign ends the campaign against their 1-5 rival with a 4-2 record.   

McInenly made a consecutive appearance the following night, against the Long Beach Bombers for game two   

The opening period was off to a slower start from the home team, as Long Beach were the ones to find the opening goal in under four minutes. 

The lead was short-lived, as Bennett cleaned up his own rebound for the equalizer, followed by a power-play goal by Pero seven minutes later to put Ontario up 2-1 after the first period. 

Christopher Lai opened the second period with a goal within the first minute. Lai redirected the puck via a shot by Charles Johnston from just inside the blue line. 

Long Beach hadn’t quite quit yet as they responded with two goals in under four minutes to make the score 3-3. 

McInenly made way for Ryan Hicks’ 12th appearance, as he entered the game with 15 minutes remaining in the period. 

From there, Ontario had their foot on the gas scoring three goals in the final five minutes of the middle period. 

Cannon got things started with a power-play goal, followed by a goal by Carter Demelo from a centering pass by Pero, to be concluded by Lai’s second of the night, created by a Bombers turnover in their defensive zone.  

After 40 minutes of play, the Jr. Reign took a 6-3 lead. 

The offense continued, as Ontario kept bombarding the Long Beach goaltender with shots on target. 

A game misconduct to the Bombers with eight minutes remaining in regulation led to three power-play goals, including two from Bennett and one from Cannon, bringing Ontario’s total to nine. 

Long Beach pulled one back, before Tyler Huston elevated the Jr. Reign to double-digits in the final 10 seconds, making the scoreboard read 10-4 for the home side. 

Hicks saved 14 of the 15 shots he faced, earning his ninth win of the campaign. 

The Ontario Jr. Reign are headed into the last weekend of the season with home games on Friday Feb. 28 at 8:45pm, and Sunday March 2 at 12:45pm at the Center Ice Arena. Tickets are on sale now at Tickets - Ontario Jr Reign. 

The Ontario Jr. Reign has had another outstanding season, and as we prepare to defend our Pacific Division title this March, we need your support!  Your generosity will help offset the significant costs of playoffs and ensure our team can continue pursuing their passion for the game. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference!

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