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ECHL Utah Grizzlies

Grizzlies Double up Admirals

January 20, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release


The Grizzlies rebounded against the Admirals after Saturday's disappointing 3-2 loss with a 4-2 victory on Monday afternoon in front of 9,410 fans. Jeff Bateman scored and assisted on the game winning goal by Steve Gainey as Jason Bacashihua made 36 saves earning his sixth straight home victory.

Utah got things started at the 5:03 mark of the first, when they lit the lamp as Jeff Bateman gathered the puck in the near circle of the Milwaukee zone, headed for the slot and placed a backhander into the back of the net. Admiral goalie Brian Finley was fighting traffic in front and never saw the puck coming. Greg Hawgood and Eric Chouinard got the helpers on the play as Bateman tallied his 4th goal of the season.

With just over six minutes left in the period, Utah's penalty killing unit was on the ice and had cleared the puck. Gavin Morgan showed some great hustle by bolting down the ice and beat the Admiral defense to the puck. Morgan swung around the Admiral net and flipped the puck in the middle to Mark Wotton who had caught up with the play, just inside the blue line. Wotton let loose a hard slap shot that beat Finley above the blocker and gave Utah a 2-0 lead after one period of play. It was the Grizzlies 8th short-handed goal of the year and gave Wotton his 4th goal. Gavin Morgan (9-15-24) and Dan Jancevski (0-7-7) picked up the assists. Utah had the advantage in shots on net, 11 for the Grizzlies, 8 for Milwaukee after 20 minutes of play.

The Admirals got their offense rolling early in the second period when Pascal Trepanier made the Grizzlies pay for a penalty with his fourth goal of the season at the 2:00 mark. Just 32 seconds later, Utah gave up another as they broke down mentally in their own zone. Pascal Trepanier recorded his second of the night as he collected a rebound of the missed point shot by Peter Smrek and put it into an empty net past Bacashihua tying the score at two goals apiece.

Utah would regain the lead late in the second period when Bateman made a great play with some beautiful puck handling past the Milwaukee defense along the nearside boards. As Bateman got deep into the near circle, drawing the Admiral defense toward him, he back-handed a pass across the front of the crease to Steve Gainey breaking toward the net who snapped a shot top shelf over Finley's shoulder giving Utah a 3-2 lead.

In the third, Milwaukee got off to a great start and were able to pressure the Grizzlies in their own zone. Bacashihua was a wall as he faced a barrage of shots by the Admiral team. Both Greg Koehler and Wyatt Smith had great chances but Bacashihua denied the threats. Utah would regain their two-goal lead at the 11:53 mark of the stanza when Greg Hawgood got the puck on the far side of the Milwaukee zone and drove behind the net passing the puck to Matthieu Descoteaux coming in from the blue line. Descoteaux got enough wood on the puck to beat Finley low, just inside the far post through traffic giving the Grizzlies a two goal lead that proved to be enough.

The victory was the first in four chances for Utah against Milwaukee.

THREE STARS: 1. Jeff Bateman: 1 goal, 1 assist 2. Jeff MacMillan: 1 assist 3. Pascal Trepanier: 2 goals

NEXT GAME: The Grizzlies will play Philadelphia, Jan 22 in the first of a five-game road trip.

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