News release
14 February 2011
Ontario, Calif. - The Elmira Jackals (21-20-6-1) secured a 3-1 win over the Ontario Reign (17-29-2-2) on Sunday night at Citizens Business Bank Arena to end a season-long six-game road trip with a victory. Patrick Coulombe gave Elmira its first lead of the game with a power-play goal and the game winner with 1:43 remaining in the final period.
Chaz Johnson redirected a David Walker blue-line shot on the power play into the net to give Ontario the 1-0 lead at 8:58 of the first period.
Jason Bailey wristed a puck from the right circle low past the stick side of Reign netminder Mike Zacharias to even the score, 1-1, at 18:57 of the first. The tally was Bailey's first as a Jackal.
After getting outshot in the first period 14-9, Elmira doubled Ontario in shots 26-13 in the second and third periods. The Jackals and the Reign each had scoring chances in a scoreless middle frame, with Elmira goaltender Timo Pielmeier and Zacharias making crucial saves to keep it 1-1.
After giving up the game's first six power plays, the Jackals earned four third-period chances on the man advantage. On a four-on-three power play with 1:43 remaining, Coulombe drove in a shot from the top of the right circle on a feed by R.J. Anderson to put Elmira in front for the first time in the game, 2-1. Justin Donati had the second assist to extend his point streak to seven games (3g-10a).
After a Donati defensive-zone faceoff win with 10 seconds left, Bailey fired in an empty-net goal from the right circle with under four ticks remaining to seal the win for the Jackals, 3-1.
Pielmeier obtained his first win with the Jackals by making 26 saves and improving to 1-0-1-0. Zacharias stopped 32 of 34 shots as he fell to 8-11-3-3.
The Jackals won a Sunday game for the first time since Oct. 24, snapping an 0-6-2-0 stretch. Elmira ended its road trip with a record of 2-2-1-1.