Briggs stand tall in Steelheads 3-1 win over Grizzlies
January 11, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
West Valley City, UT - Steelheads' goaltender Kellen Briggs stopped 24 shots over the final two periods and 32 for the contest as he backstopped the Steelheads to a 3-1 win over the Grizzlies from the E-Center on Friday night.
The Steelheads (18-12-7) victory sets up a rubber match of this three-game series tomorrow night and it improved the club's record to 3-2-4 against the Grizzlies (17-15-3) this season and 15-4-5 overall.
Midway through the first period the Steelheads broke a scoreless tie on Craig Cescon's first professional goal. After the Steelheads' dug the puck free in the left wing corner of the offensive zone, Alexander Naurov got the puck to Matt Craig, who fired a shot that was fought off by Grizzlies' goaltender Mike Mole (20 saves), but Cescon smacked the rebound home at the 11:46 mark.
Then at 15:35, Aaron Gagnon fed Blake Forsyth and his slap shot from the right point found its way through heavy traffic, beating Mole inside the short side post. The eventual game-winner was the second in as many victories for Forsyth, who now has seven markers on the season.
Through 20 minutes the Steelheads had a 2-0 lead and they led in shots 12-8.
The Grizzlies scored the only goal of the second period getting a tally by Keith Johnson, his second of the series and 16th of the campaign. Taking a Justin Bourne pass through center, Johnson got past Steelheads' defenseman Jeremy Scherlinck and deked around Briggs before sliding the puck over the goal line. Sean Offers grabbed the second helper on the even-strength goal at 6:57.
The Steelheads held their 2-1 advantage through the rest of the frame and heading into the second intermission, the shots favored the Grizzlies 21-18.
After killing off two Grizzlies' power plays in the third period, the Steelheads sealed the contest with a shorthanded, empty-net goal by Taggart Desmet, his 13th goal of the year. Forsyth and Briggs drew the assists, with Briggs' helper marking the first point of his professional career.
The final shots favored the Grizzlies 33-23. Both teams were scoreless on the man advantage, with the Steelheads having four chances and the Grizzlies gaining six opportunities.
The Steelheads conclude their series with the Utah Grizzlies on Saturday, January 12. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. MST. All the action can be heard live on 1350 AM, KTIK "The Ticket" or via the B2 Networks. Don't forget, Steelheads' single-game tickets can be purchased via www.idahosteelheads.com (using the print-at-home feature), by calling 331-TIXS or from the Qwest Arena box office.
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