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ECHL Utah Grizzlies

Grizzlies End Home Drought With Late Victory Over Griffins

April 5, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release


West Valley City, Utah - The rematch between Utah and Grand Rapids was a game that had to go in favor of the Grizzlies and after nearly 59 minutes of play the Grizzlies rode their season MVP Jim Montgomery as he beat Marc Lamothe giving Utah their first lead of the night and the victory 3-2 in front of 10,107 fans at the E-Center.

In the first period the visiting Griffins got on the board first as forward Ryan Barnes dropped the puck off to teammate Mark Mowers in the neutral zone and Mowers brought the puck into the Grizzlies end along the near boards, down to the bottom of the near circle. Mowers paused for an instant-like he was waiting for someone to get open-then all of a sudden, wristed a shot at the net from what seemed an impossible angle from the corner. Corey Hirsch looked as though he was hugging the post enough, but the puck made it through a tiny sliver a daylight and trickled into the net, giving Grand Rapids a 1-0 lead.

Almost five minutes later the Grizzlies were in trouble, fighting off a penalty when Gavin Morgan made things interesting. In the Utah zone, Morgan gained control of the puck along the far boards and skating up ice. As he neared his own blue line, a Griffins defenseman tried to stand him up but Morgan used the boards to his advantage, banking the puck off the boards to himself as he past the defenseman. Morgan crossed the Griffins blue line and let loose a hard slap shot at Griffins goalie Marc Lamothe. The rebound from the shot came out in front to Bubba Berenzweig who put it in the net for his 10th goal of the season. At the end of twenty minutes the teams were tied at one goal apiece, Utah edged out the visiting Griffins, 14 to 8-shots on net.

The second period got off to the Griffins liking, despite a huge momentum shift at the end of the first that seemed to go Utah's way. Only 52 seconds into the stanza, the Utah defense got caught on their heels and Griffins center Nathan Robinson found Jason Williams streaking up ice and Williams went untouched into the Utah zone where he drilled a hard slap shot from the far circle that beat Hirsch low, just inside the near goal post. The goal took the wind out of the Grizzlies sails who fell behind a goal, 2-1.

Utah didn't loose their composure and in the waning moments of the second period Utah had a man advantage as Jim Montgomery controlled the puck along the far corner and sent the biscuit into the slot where Dylan Gyori one-timed it at Lamothe. The Griffins goal tender managed to get a piece of it and steered it to the near side where Berenzweig was waiting on the door step and put the puck into the back of the net, tying the game at 2-2. At the end of forty minutes of play, Utah dominated Grand Rapids with 15 shots on net versus three by the Griffins.

The third period witnessed action on both ends of the ice as play went back and forth. The Grizzlies pelted Lamothe and had more scoring chances their opponents but just couldn't convert when it mattered most. Finally, at the 18:39 mark, Utah broke the still tension in the air, caused by 10,107 fans hoping for a miracle. Steve Gainey found Jim Montgomery in the neutral zone, and Montgomery caught the Griffins on a line chance and went untouched into the Griffins end and sent a vicious wrister at Lamothe that beat him high and lifting the Grizzlies 3-2. That proved to be the game winner after a last ditch attempt by the Griffins, pulling Lamothe in the last 45 seconds of the game and getting the extra attacker. With the victory, Utah remains in the eighth position in the Western Conference playoff picture.

The Grizzlies won for the first time in their last six home games and finish out the home portion of their schedule with just two games in Milwaukee remaining before the post-season begins.

Three Stars: 1. Jim Montgomery (UT) 1 goal, 1 assist 2.Bubba Berenzweig (UT) 2 goals 3. Marc Lamothe (GR) 41 saves

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