ECHL Utah Grizzlies

Shorthanded Grizzlies Stay Hot with 6-4 Win over Stockton

January 12, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release


West Valley City, Utah - The Utah Grizzlies scored a season-high six goals to defeat the Stockton Thunder 6-4 Saturday night at Maverik Center before 5,271 fans.

Utah is now 6-1-1-2 since Christmas and the second hottest team in the Western Conference during that stretch; collecting 14 of their last 20 possible standings points.

"Guys rallied together, took the approach of next man up," said Grizzlies Director of Hockey Operations Ian Greenwald. "It's really just everybody doing what they had to to get the win and that's the most important thing."

David Vallorani led Utah with two goals and two assists in the contest and Phil Mangan scored a game-winning goal with 1:29 left in regulation to give Utah a 5-4 lead. Vallorani (13) buried an empty-netter with 33 seconds left. 11 different Grizzlies scored at least a point in the game.

Utah finished the game with just 13 skaters as Channing Boe left injured in the first period and Danick Paquette was assessed a game misconduct during an altercation in the first period. The Grizzlies were already without their hottest offensive player Mathieu Aubin, who was injured last night and never returned.

The Grizzlies never trailed in the game, leading 1-0, 3-1, 4-2 before ultimately pulling away.

Danick Paquette got the scoring started 90 seconds into the contest tipping in his seventh goal of the year off of a Gentry Zollars (two assists) blast.

After Stockton tied the game at one, Vinny Scarsella took a great feed from Vallorani for his sixth goal of the year and second in two nights to make it 2-1 at the first intermission.

Vallorani's 12th goal of the year from Jamie MacQueen made it 3-1 in the second before Stockton scored with just over seven seconds left to make it 3-2 going to the third.

Michael Pelech's 7th goal of the year from D.J. Jelitto made it 4-2 as the Grizzlies skated in shorthanded 4:25 into the third.

Stockton then tied with two power-play goals in a 3:09 stretch, but the Grizzlies killed their final two shorthanded situations of the contest to setup a chance to win on their late power-play.

Aaron Dell improved to 8-2-0-1 with the victory for Utah allowing just one five-on-five goal.

The Grizzlies return to action Wednesday and Friday in Boise for 7:10 p.m. face-offs.

Utah is back home Saturday with Idaho. It is another player poster giveaway.

Monday, January 20 is Maverik Monday at 1:35 p.m. for Martin Luther King Day. Fans can get six tickets for $30 with a receipt from Maverik at the arena box office.

Ticket packages for the 2013-2014 season are still on sale and start at just $29. For more information, visit http://www.utahgrizzlies.com or call (801) 988-7825.

Check out the Utah Grizzlies Statistics



ECHL Stories from January 12, 2014


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