Grizzlies Slow Down RoadRunners 5-2
February 2, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners News Release
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - Luciano Aquino tallied a pair of goals to propel the Utah Grizzlies to a 5-2 win over the Phoenix RoadRunners in the middle game of this three-game series before 3,797 at the "E"-Center in ECHL action Friday.
The RoadRunners and Grizzlies traded goals in the opening period. Phoenix (22-19-2) scored first at 10:14 on the power play as Olivier Latendresse flipped the puck off Utah goaltender Rob McVicar's glove and into the net to give the RoadRunners a 1-0 lead. Aquino tied the score at 1-1 as he jammed home the loose puck through the pads of RoadRunners goaltender Cody Rudkowsky at 19:31.
Utah (16-24-4) used that late first period momentum to their advantage as they tacked on a pair of goals to stat the second period. Andy Sertich found an open Aquino at the right-wing circle, and Aquino snapped the puck into the back of the net at 2:46 to give the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead. Brendan Cook made it 3-1 on a two-man advantage power play goal at 5:25 as he tipped Ryan Kinasewich's rebound past Rudkowsky and into the RoadRunners cage. Brock Hooton capitalized off a Utah turnover however at 8:11 as he raced ahead of the pack and beat McVicar with a backhand shot to cut the Phoenix deficit to 3-2 heading into the second intermission.
After a scoreless back-and-forth third period, D.J. Jelitto gave the Grizzlies a big insurance goal late in the frame as he re-directed Jimmie Kraft's shot through Rudkowsky at 17:01 to extend Utah's lead to 4-2. Chris Trick capped the scoring with a shorthanded empty-net goal at 19:39.
Utah out-shot the RoadRunners 47-28. Rudkowsky stopped 42 shots but fell to 6-8-1 on the season. Both teams went 1-5 on the power play.
Notes: The RoadRunners scored a power play goal for a seventh consecutive game and are now 13-48 on the man-advantage during the streak...Cook's goal snapped a streak of 22 straight power plays killed off by Phoenix on the road...Aquino potted his first two goals in a Grizzlies uniform since being assigned from Bridgeport on Jan. 10...The RoadRunners agreed to terms with veteran defenseman and former Dallas Star Jeff MacMillan Friday. MacMillan, 27, is expected to join the RoadRunners' line-up Tuesday when Phoenix welcomes the Stockton Thunder to US Airways Center.
The RoadRunners conclude their three-game series with the Utah Grizzlies at 7:05 p.m. Saturday from the "E"-Center in West Valley City, Utah. Catch all the action live by logging on to www.phxroadrunners.com beginning with "RoadRunners Countdown" at 6:45 p.m.
Phoenix returns to US Airways Center at 7:11 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6 as they welcome back the Stockton Thunder. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Individual game tickets for the 2006-07 regular season start as low $7 in the lower section and can be purchased at the US Airways Center Box Office and at all Ticketmaster outlets including Ticketmaster.com. Information on season tickets, half-season packages, and flex plans are available by calling (602) 462-GOAL.
ECHL Stories from February 2, 2007
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