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ECHL Colorado Eagles

Grizzlies Hold on for 5-4 Win over Eagles

March 9, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - The Utah Grizzlies defeated the Colorado Eagles, 5-4, in a back-and-forth contest that's become common between the Mountain Division rivals. After the Eagles staged a comeback win Friday night, the Grizzlies were able to score a pair of goals less than half a minute apart to create enough cushion to keep the same from happening in the second of three straight meetings between the teams.

The Eagles out-shot the Grizzlies, 13-9, in the first frame, but for the second straight night, Utah was the only team to find the back of the net in the opening period. The goal came at 15:38 when Jimmy Martin's shot from the right point eluded Adam Brown.

The Eagles out-shot the Grizzlies, 19-11, in the second stanza, but each team finished the frame with a pair of goals. Utah took a 2-0 lead five minutes in when Berkley Scott got by a flat-footed Jarrett Rush at the blue line and sent a back-door feed to Sebastien Trudeau.

Colorado countered three minutes later when Michael Forney sent a pass to Aaron Schneekloth -- back in the lineup for the first time since Jan. 18 -- in the high slot, and the league's reigning Defenseman of the Year cut Utah's lead in half.

Then at 13:43, the red-hot Forney used a give-and-go play to enter the offensive zone along the right wing, collected the puck in the right circle and beat Adam Morrison with a bad-angle shot to tie the game at 2.

But the Grizzlies re-took the lead three minutes later on a controversial non-icing call when Colin Vock dug the puck out of the right corner and sent a back-door pass to Jordan Clendenning on the doorstep.

Colorado continued to battle back, tying the game at 3 five minutes into the final frame when Kyle Ostrow put home a Collin Bowman shot from the doorstep. But two and a half minutes later, the Grizzlies countered with a pair of goals 25 seconds apart.

Utah made it 4-3 when Cody Carlson faked a shot in the high slot, skated into the right circle and sent the puck on net where Scott was able to deflect it past Brown. And on the next shift, former Eagle Tommy Maxwell got what turned out to be the game-winner on another controversial tally when he swept home a rebound -- off of a teammate's high stick -- from the low slot.

The Eagles kept coming, however, and Dylan Hood -- back in the lineup for the first time since Feb. 24 -- cut the home team's lead back down to a single goal 15 minutes in. On the play, Forney sent a pass from behind the net to the rookie in the low slot for a shot past Morrison.

But despite a late push, Colorado couldn't get another tally past the Grizzlies' netminder, setting up a rubber-match of the weekend's set when the teams face-off Sunday afternoon.

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