Oct 27, 2024 | Game Recap
The first career NAHL goal for Carson Pavlowich and a sterling 37-save effort from Grit goaltender Jack Erickson got the Grit to overtime, but the Grit dropped a heart-breaker in the extra session, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon in Amarillo.
Colorado got the scoring started in the first period when forward Lucca Ori converted on a feed from Brayden Junker to punch home his second goal of the season and give the Grit an early lead, 1-0, with 12:22 remaining in the first period. For the second consecutive night, the Wranglers peppered the Grit net in the first twenty minutes with seventeen shots. Erickson stonewalled the home side for all 17 saves, part of his aforementioned 37-save evening.
Each team found the net once in the middle frame with the Grit doubling their advantage roughly halfway into the period. Pavlowitch ripped a wrist shot from the right point past Wranglers netminder William Lubimov to give the Grit a 2-0 advantage with 10:22 remaining in the second period. Amarillo got their first tally of the night through Grayson Gerhard, whose fifth goal of the year drew the home side within a goal, 2-1, with 7:34 left in the second period. The scoreline held through the second intermission and Colorado protected a 2-1 lead to start the third.
After a Divyne Apollon ejection in the opening two minutes, extended 4-on-4 time and a major Grit power play were soon to follow. Amarillo killed off the major power play and found the net during the 4-on-4 – defenseman Emil Skeltins tallied a goal for the second night running and brought the Wranglers even, 2-2, just 3:18 into the third period. Amarillo’s Corson Maguire gave the home side a lead, 3-2, with 9:35 to play after banging in a rebound from the left wing circle. Forward George Poirier made sure the lead didn’t last long though when he sniped a wrist shot past Lubimov on the ensuing faceoff to tie the score, 3-3, just eight seconds later.
The Grit guaranteed themselves a point by reaching the extra session and picked up a pair of shots on goal, one from defenseman Alex German and another from Landon West. On a counterattack, Wrangler defenseman Sal Cerrato snapped a shot past the glove of Erickson for his second OT winner of the season at Colorado’s expense to help the home side avoid the sweep with 2:55 remaining in overtime.
GRIT NOTES
– Pavlowich’s first goal of the season makes him the sixth different Grit defenseman with a goal in 2024-25. The blueliners have 12 of the team’s 37 goals this season (32.4%). Across their inaugural season, the Grit’s defensive corps accounted for 26.7% of the team’s offense.
– Goaltender Jack Erickson made his 11th appearance of the season in the loss and made 37 saves, a season high. The White Bear Lake, MN product has made 30 saves in three of his ten starts this season and is approaching 50 career starts in the North American League and could hit the mark next weekend in El Paso.
– Despite the overtime loss, Colorado ensured that they picked up a point in the standings to keep themselves in sixth place in the South Division and in the playoff picture. The contest is the sixth time in the first thirteen games that the Grit have factored in a one-goal decision. In franchise history, a staggering 27 of their 73 all-time games (37%) have been decided by one goal.
Oct 26, 2024 | Game Recap
It was a record-breaking night in Amarillo as forward Luc Bydal grabbed his first career multi-goal game and Willy Johnson extended his point streak to three games while the Grit routed Amarillo in a 9-3 victory on Saturday night at the Budweiser Bull Pen in Amarillo.
For the second consecutive game, it was the home side that opened the scoring. Tallies from Emil Skeltins and winger Corson Maguire spotted Amarillo a 2-0 lead with 6:47 remaining in the first period. Grit goaltender Pete Sterling made 16 saves during the first period during the shooting gallery, finishing with 31 in the game.
The Grit offense sprang to life in the middle frame, notching four goals in just over ten minutes. Willy Johnson and Luke Helgeson scored within 61 seconds of each other, and had pulled Colorado level, 2-2, with 13:16 left in the second period. The rapid fire scoring didn’t end there – Bydal’s pair of tallies were separated by 97 seconds as he powered Colorado ahead, 4-2, with 4:37 to play in the period.
The Wranglers closed the gap to one, 4-3, with a Grayson Gerhard goal with 14:04 remaining in the frame. However, Colorado responded forcefully through a pair of unlikely goal scorers in short order. Defenseman Evan Smutney potted his first goal of the season at the 6:51 mark and winger Kennan Reyelts added another just 25 seconds later to make it 6-3 in favor of the Grit with 12:44 to play. The wheels fell off the Wrangler wagon down the stretch and once the dust settled, Colorado had powered in three more goals in the final 7:22 to hit the final buzzer in resounding fashion.
GRIT NOTES
– Colorado shattered their previous franchise high for goals – six – with a nine spot in Amarillo. Franchise scoring marks were set all over – eleven different skaters recorded a point, five power play goals were scored, and the five-goal third period is the most goals in a frame in Grit history.
– While securing their first road series victory of the season, the Grit continued their success in the Texas Panhandle. Colorado is now 3-1-1 in their last five games at Amarillo – scoring no less than two goals per game in that stretch.
– Willy Johnson continues to make a case as a possible South Division Star of the Week, which would be a first for a Grit skater. Through two games on the weekend, Johnson has five points (3-2-5) in two contests.
Good Title Names – Grit Record Breaking Night in 9-3 Victory. Something like that
Oct 25, 2024 | Game Recap
In a nail-biting showdown, the Colorado Grit defeated the Amarillo Wranglers 4-3 on Friday night, in the first game of a three-game set at The Budweiser Bull Pen Arena in Amarillo.
The home team took an early lead, 1-0, and then 3-1 in the final period, but Colorado rallied back to tie it up at 3-3, forcing overtime. Landon West bagged his second career multi-goal game, including the tying tally with 1:12 remaining regulation.
In the shootout, tension filled the arena as each team took their turns. The Grit sealed the win with a perfectly placed shot by Chris Graves, who grabbed his second career SO winner at Amarillo’s expense. It was a thrilling finish that showcased the resilience and talent for Colorado and goes down as their first come-from-behind win of the 2024-25 campaign.
GRIT NOTES:
Forward Landon West now has five goals and six assists in 15 games against the Wranglers all time.
Colorado scored two power play goals in a contest for the first time in 2024-25.
Goaltender Jack Erickson set a season high with 39 saves and improves to 4-2 all-time in shootouts
Oct 20, 2024 | Game Recap
After a total of seven assists in previous games, Lucca Ori finally earns not one, but two well deserved goals against The IceRays. Lucci Ori bagged his first multi-goal game of the season and goaltender Pete Sterling made 29 saves on 30 shots for his first win of the season as the Grit knocked off Corpus Christi, 3-1, to earn a series split.
Despite the scoreline, it was the home side that found the back of the net first. With 11:54 left in the second period, Ice Ray forward Raymond Perreault snapped a shot past Sterling to spot the home to a 1-0 advantage. Colorado responded with two goals in 4:15 from defenseman Braden Junker and Ori to take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
Two penalty kills early in the third period paved the way for the Grit to get some insurance down the stretch. With 8:55 gone in the third period, Ori’s shot beat Corpus Christi netminder Vlad Bryzgalov and doubled the Grit lead, 3-1, with 11:05 remaining in regulation.
GRIT NOTES
The Grit set a season-high with eight successful penalty kills and are just the second team to hold the South Division leaders to one goal or fewer in a contest this year.
Defenseman Braden Junker’s game-tying tally in the second period extended his point streak to three games, a career high.
In his 13th appearance with the Grit, goaltender Pete Sterling’s 29 saves were crucial in the win and the Manassas, VA product improves to 3-1-0 when he receives two or more goals of support, dating back to 2023-24.
Oct 18, 2024 | Game Recap
In a tightly contested game, the Corpus Christi IceRays secured a 3-1 victory over the Grit in the first game of a two-game series.
The Colorado Grit kicked off the first period with intense energy, and struck first with a pass from Sheldon Rioux bounced off the skate of Landon West and found the back of the net. The tally was just the third power play goal surrendered by the Ice Rays this season. The goal also marked West’s first goal of the season.
The IceRays led in the second period as they opened with a quick goal, followed by a second to extend their lead, 2-1, midway through the frame.
A late surge came from Colorado in the third period and goaltender Jack Erickson finished with 26 saves, but a late 4-on-4 allowed Stepan Kuznetsov to capitalize with 3:13 to play and polish off the 3-1 decision.
The two teams will play four contests this season and split the season series 2-2-0-0 in 2024-25.
