Joe Patarino 
A back and forth game at Toyota Arena saw the Ontario Reign edge the rival San Diego Gulls in overtime on Saturday.
In a wild game on Star Wars Night, the Ontario Reign came from behind three different times en route to a 5-4 overtime victory against the San Diego Gulls on Saturday.
Samuel Fagemo’s one-time goal off a pass from T.J. Tynan on a 2-on-1 gave Ontario their second overtime win in a row.
Things started well for the hosts in what was a strong first period. The Reign outshot the Gulls 11-6 and got on the board 5:32 into the game when Jordan Spence fired home his first career AHL goal on the power play:
First Pro Goal for @jordanjs224 – The Force is strong with this one pic.twitter.com/jQwOpEYmuu
— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) January 9, 2022
The lead was short-lived, though, as Brent Gates scored just 15 seconds later to tie the game.
It was 1-1 entering what would be an action-packed second period with the teams combining for five goals.
San Diego struck first, taking the 2-1 lead on a Nikolas Brouillard power-play goal. His shot came from the point and looked like one that Garret Sparks should have stopped, but he may have tweaked something on the play as he came out of the game right after that goal.
Lukas Parik made his AHL debut and settled in nicely despite giving up a pair of goals in the second period.
Jaret Anderson-Dolan tipped in a shot that came from the stick of Spence but was first redirected by Fagemo. After Brayden Tracey regained the Gulls lead, Quinton Byfield scored for the second straight game, this one in tight around the crease:
While everyone else is in line for popcorn here's a look at @byfield55 's goal just for you… Yes. You. pic.twitter.com/gd5jZkqyFD
— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) January 9, 2022
With 31 seconds left in the middle frame, Hunter Drew’s goal gave San Diego a 4-3 lead after two periods.
In the third, it was all Ontario. They out-shot the Gulls 14-3 and eventually got the game-tying goal off the stick of Tynan 13:20 into the period.
The win improves the Reign’s record to 16-6-2-1 while San Diego falls to 11-15-1.