Sep 26, 2024 | Game Recap, Home Page
A disputed overtime tally from Mallards winger Erik Muller gave the expansion Minnesota Mallards a 3-2 victory over the Grit to open the NAHL Showcase in Blaine.
With the defeat, the Grit’s overall record stands at to 1-1-1-2 and 4th in the South Division with 5 points.
NOTES
For the first time this season, the Grit were outshot, 29-27, by their opponent. The Grit had outshot their previous five opponents, winning two of those five contests.
Teammates Cade Kozak (17 years, 325 days) and Justin Vlassis (17 years, 138 days) became the youngest pair of Grit teammates to score in the same game in franchise history. Vlassis is the second youngest player to score in franchise history, behind Sheldon Rioux.
Forwards Christian Carter and Quinn Bowden both played in their 61st game as members of the Colorado Grit, overtaking defenseman Bowen Burke (‘23-24) for the all-time franchise record in games played.
Colorado’s defeat to the Mallards in overtime mean that the Grit are still searching for their first overtime win in franchise history. While they have had success in the shootout, Colorado falls to 0-7 all-time in overtime.
Sep 24, 2024 | Game Recap, Home Page
Forward Nick Noble scored his third goal of the season and Grit netminder Jack Erickson made 22 saves but a buzzer-beater in overtime saw the Grit fall 2-1 to Amarillo at the Greeley Ice Haus on Saturday night. Despite outshooting the visitors 10-9 in the opening period, it was the Amarillo Wranglers that got the scoring started for the second night in a row. With the assist from Salvatore Cerrato and Morley Phillips, With 3:30 to play in the period, Amarillo forward Aidan Dres was able to get the puck around Colorado’s goaltender Jack Ericksonwith 3:30 remaining in the first period.
The goaltending duel between Erickson and Wrangler netminder Charlie Zolin continued across the second period with no goals scored during the frame. Unfinished business from Friday night around ejections to Grit defenseman Evan Smutney and Amarillo forward Divyne Apollon came to a head midway through the second period. With just under thirteen minutes to play in the period, Smutney finished his check on Wrangler Ben Cameron and Apollon threw his gloves on the ground as Smutney took some pretty big jabs before the officials pulled Apollon and Smutney apart. As Apollon was ejected from the game, Colorado gained a major power play out of the situation, but were unable to cash in after four of their 36 total shots were kicked aside by Zolin.
The third period started 1-0 and Colorado continued to pepper Zolin with shots, outshooting the Wranglers 11-4 in the final frame. Grit winger Nolan Shaw and Amarillo winger Nolan Davis exchanged punches and received matching misconduct penalties following the tilt outside the Wrangler goalmouth. A late power play provided the opportunity Colorado had been searching for. With a great rotation of the puck, forward Lucca Ori had the initial shot and Zolin spilled the rebound off his right pad. Noble was right there to pounce for his third goal of the weekend and tie the game, 1-1, with 3:30 to play in regulation.
Much like regulation, the Grit controlled the shots and offensive opportunities during most of the extra session. With 3:07 remaining in overtime, Ori flew down the left wing and had a wrist shot swallowed up on a 2-on-1 breakout. Moments later, Helgeson had a breakaway opportunity that didn’t result in a shot after the puck rolled off his stick while trying a backhand effort. The game looked destined for a shootout until Amarillo defender Salvatore Cerrato intercepted a pass with three seconds left and barreled to the front of the net. His deke slid the puck under Erickson with less than a second to play and gave the Wranglers the 2-1 overtime win.
Sep 24, 2024 | Game Recap, News
Forward Nicholas Noble scored his first two goals of the year, but the Colorado Grit dropped a 5-2 decision against the Amarillo Wranglers at the Greeley Ice Haus on Friday night.The Colorado Grit battled out a tough first period with the Amarillo Wranglers, who got the scoring started for the night. With 7:58 on the scoreboard, left wing Trace Day scored when he took advantage of a shooting lane in the low slot and buried the puck past Grit goaltender Jack
Erickson to give Amarillo a 1-0 lead. The two teams renewed hostilities after a physical 12-game season series last year when Amarillo forward Divyne Apollon was ejected for engaging in disorderly conduct and removing his helmet while initiating a fight with Grit defenseman Evan Smutney about half way through the first period. For the second game running, the Grit found the back of the net in the final minute of the first period. With 53 seconds to go in the frame, Nicholas Noble was able to score with the nifty behind-the-back pass and assist from Luke Helgeson going cross-crease to find the waiting Noble on the back door to tie the game, 1-1.
The second period became a penalty killing exhibition between two of the best penalty killing teams in the league, as the Wranglers killed off one penalty and the Grit killed off two. The two squads finished a combined 0-for-11 on the man advantage when the night ended. It was an even strength tally from the visitors that pushed them back in front. With 14:36 left on the clock, Amarillo’s forecheck from Carl Jacobsen allowed him to push a pass into the low slot where winger Corson Maguire scored his first goal of the season as he teed a slap shot past Erickson to give Amarillo a 2-1 lead.
In the third period, the Wranglers once again got the scoring started as rookie Carl Jacobson jumped behind goaltender Jack Erickson on a rebound, successfully getting his first junior goal with 15:10 to play and extending Amarillo’s lead, 3-1. The media timeout proved The Grit took a timeout with 11:38 left on the clock. Right after the timeout, center Willy Johnson pushed a faceoff win towards Noble, who rifled a shot past the glove of Amarillo netminder Charlie Zolin and brought the Grit back within one, 3-2, with 11:35 to play.
Exactly 90 seconds later, the Wranglers found their response when Trace Day, who finished with two points, wheeled a cross-ice pass to an open Andrew Morton to slam the puck into the back of the net and restore the two-goal advantage, 4-2, with 10:05 remaining. Jack Erickson. Amarillo notched their final tally with 7:06 to play when a shot from Salvatore Cerrato snapped his stick and the puck rolled to edge of the crease; rookie Nolan Davis got two whacks at the rebound and pushed the puck into the net for his first goal of the season to give Amarillo the 5-2 lead that they would carry to the final buzzer.
Sep 18, 2024 | Game Recap, News
The Grit scored a late tying goal in the third period, goaltender Jack Erickson made 34 saves, but Colorado fell 3-2 in a shootout to El Paso on Friday night in Greeley.
Colorado got the scoring started just over three minutes into the period. Defenseman Braden Junker scored the home opening goal on a wrist shot from the top of the zone that pinged off the post and in and the Grit had the lead, 1-0, just 3:22 into the game to kickstart the 2024-25 season. Rhinos forward Rasmus Nousiainen quickly scored two goals, at 4:24 and 10:15, to give El Paso their first lead of the night, 2-1. The Rhinos retained the lead into the first intermission.
Despite no goals in the middle period, a physical tenor took over. Both teams took multiple penalties in the middle frame, with the teams finishing a combined 12-for-12 on the penalty kill. The nastiness came to a head with 8:38 remaining in the period when newcomer Grit forward Kennan Reyelts and Rhino defenseman Lawson Kimble tossed down the gloves in the Grit defensive zone and exchanged punches. Both players were given a fighting major and head contact misconduct and the officials restored order down the stretch in the second period.
Colorado found their equalizer late in the third period. Reyelts completed his remaining time in the penalty box and the fresh legs were key in the Grit’s game-tying tally. Reyelts swung a puck in front of the net and El Paso goaltender Michael Manzi made one of his 36 saves, kicking the shot aside. The rebound made its way to Sheldon Rioux, whose first goal of the year tied the game with 5:23 to play in regulation.
In the overtime session, the Grit had to fend off two power play opportunities for El Paso. Colorado netminder Jack Erickson made a pair of tremendous saves, finishing with 32 stops, and sending the game to the shootout. The second Rhino shooter, Ryder Many Gray Horses, pushed a shot to the glove side over a prone Erickson for the lone tally in the shootout to get El Paso the extra point.
Box Score
1st Period
(COL) – Junker (Ori, West) – 3:22
(ELP) – Nousiainen (Solano, Gentzler) – 4:24
(ELP) – Nousiainen (Kimble, Kavc) – 10:15
2nd Period
No Scoring
3rd Period
(COL) – Rioux (Reyelts) – 14:33
Overtime
No Scoring
Shootout
ELP:
Tuomiokska: MISS
Many Gray Horses: SCORE
Nousiainen: MISS
COL:
Ori: MISS
Smutney: MISS
Poirier: MISS
Special Teams:
ELP
Power Play: 0/7
Penalty Kill: 5/5
COL
Power Play: 0/5
Penalty Kill: 7/7
