Feb 21, 2025 | Game Recap
The Colorado Grit left it all on the ice in a hard-fought battle against the Shreveport Mudbugs in
the opening game of their two-game series, but in the end, it was heartbreak in the shootout as
Shreveport skated away with the 3-2 win.
The Grit set a fast pace tone right away with crisp breakouts coming out of the zone. The Grit
opened the scoring when the forward buried his ninth goal of the season. Both teams traded
chances throughout the period, but the Grit’s defensive structure held strong, keeping the
Mudbugs off the board through the first 20 minutes.
Shreveport found their equalizer early in the second period on the penalty kill. Forward Brent
Litchard netted his 17th of the season after capitalizing on a defensive miscue, tying the game at
one. The Grit responded with three power play opportunities but failed to convert, unable to
break through Shreveport’s penalty-kill unit. However, at 13:43, Sheldon Rioux answered the
call, burning a goal to give the Grit back up 2-1. The Grit outshot Shreveport 17-12 in the period,
but the margin remained razor-thin heading into the final frame.
Shreveport found the equalizer 5:13 into the third period, with Andrew Seminara slotting one
home to make it 2-2. The intensity only ramped up from there, as both teams looked to take the
lead. The Grit found themselves in trouble after taking two penalties late in the frame but
managed to weather the storm with clutch defensive efforts. Despite the back-and-forth action,
neither team could find the winner in regulation.
Overtime saw the Grit create some solid scoring opportunities, but they couldn’t solve the
Mudbugs’ netminder. With nothing settled in the extra frame, the game went to a shootout. In the
skills competition, Brent Litchard played the hero for Shreveport, scoring the lone shootout goal
and sealing the win for the Mudbugs.
After the heartbreaker, the Grit will get their chance tomorrow to bounce back against the
Mudbugs.
Feb 15, 2025 | Game Recap
The Colorado Grit came into Saturday night’s contest looking for similar results to the game between these two teams last night. A rough couple periods was too much for the Grit to overcome.
Ethan Hull struck first, finding the back of the net just 6:56 into the game, setting the tone. Andrew Earl extended the lead midway through the period, punishing a defensive lapse by the Grit. Nayan Pai, with his eighth of the season, pushed New Mexico’s advantage to 3-0 heading into the intermission.
Both teams had their chances on the power play, with the game getting extremely chippy late, the teams racked up 25 penalties total.
The Grit’s struggles continued in the second, as a costly turnover behind the net allowed Tim Hewko to extend the lead to 4-0 early in the frame. Just 56 seconds later, Stanley Hubbard piled on, making it 5-0. Andrew Earl netted his second of the night a mere 17 seconds later, leaving the Grit reeling at 6-0.
Some life for Colorado as Alexander German broke the shutout with a goal of his own at 4:39
German buried his second of the game with 4:33 left in regulation. The comeback attempt was too late however as the time ran out on the Grit.
The Grit showed some late fight, but the early hole was too deep. Looking forward, the Grit will face the Shreveport Mudbugs once again at home. The Grit will look to bounce back from a tough outing tonight.
Feb 14, 2025 | Game Recap
The Colorado Grit came out swinging and never took their foot off the gas, delivering a relentless 5-2 victory over the New Mexico Ice Wolves in a game packed with physicality, opportunistic scoring, and sheer determination.
The Grit wasted no time asserting themselves, as forward William Johnson struck just 1:04 into the game, capitalizing on a defensive lapse by the Ice Wolves. Both teams traded scoring chances throughout the period, with tough board battles and fast-paced play dictating the action. The period came to an end with the Grit ahead 1-0.
New Mexico found a lucky break early in the second when Tim Hewko netted an equalizer off an unfortunate deflection that caught the Grit defense off guard. But just when the Ice Wolves started to build momentum, the Grit answered back with authority. George Poirier buried a beauty less than three minutes later, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and restoring Colorado’s lead at 2-1 heading into the third.
The final frame saw the Grit open up the game. Within a 1:22 span, Lucas Mann and Lucca Ori struck back-to-back, opening up a 4-1 lead and leaving New Mexico scrambling. The Ice Wolvesburied one back thanks to Toivo Laaksonen, but any hope of a comeback was immediately crushed when Ori netted his second of the night, sealing a dominant 5-2 win for the Grit.
Colorado played to their identity—relentless forechecking, and burying the opportunities they created. Looking forward, the Grit will be back on home ice tomorrow in a rematch against the Ice Wolves.
Feb 8, 2025 | Game Recap
The Colorado Grit ended their three game skid in fashion, defeating the El Paso Rhinos 6-2 at the
El Paso County Event Center Saturday night. Strong offensive play, a barrage of shots on net,
and key defensive plays helped the Grit pull away in the third period after a tightly contested first
40 minutes.
The game got chippy early when El Paso’s Brendan Coughlin and Colorado’s Kennon Reyelts
dropped the gloves, bringing the crowd to life. The early fight set the tone for a physical battle,
but it was the Grit who took control offensively.
Colorado peppered the Rhinos goaltender with 26 shots in the opening period but had trouble
breaking through. They broke through when Lucas Mann found the back of the net off a crisp
setup from Noah Gronlic, putting the Grit ahead 1-0. Despite being heavily outshot, El Paso
responded late in the period when Beckett Hinchsliff netted his 15th goal of the season, tying the
game at 1-1 heading into the first intermission.
The Grit wasted no time reclaiming the lead as defenseman Luke Helgeson buried his own
rebound just 2:04 into the second period. However, El Paso answered again on the power play
when Hinchsliff tallied his second goal of the night, knotting the game at 2-2.
Colorado continued to control play,with a great forechecking effort throughout the game. Their
efforts paid off on a power play of their own, as George Poirier capitalized on a nice passing play
to restore the Grit’s lead at 3-2.
Despite the Rhinos’ offensive increase in the third, the Grit shut them down defensively and
capitalized on key opportunities. The momentum fully swung in Colorado’s favor when forward
William Johnson buried a short-handed goal, extending the lead to 4-2 and deflating the home
crowd.
Nicholas Noble added to the fire with a goal of his own, and Poirier struck again off a wild
bounce, putting the game out of reach at 6-2.
The Grit’s offensive dominance, combined with key defensive stands, propelled them to a much-
needed win to snap their losing streak. Looking forward, the Grit return to home ice next
weekend when they face the New Mexico Ice.
Feb 7, 2025 | Game Recap
The Colorado Grit’s losing streak gets pushed to three on Friday night at the El Paso County
Event Center, as they fell 4-3 in overtime to the El Paso Rhinos. Despite having the lead for
most of the game, the Grit were unable to hold off the Rhinos comeback attempt.
The Rhinos came out with intensity, pressing hard on the forecheck and pinning the Grit deep in
their own zone. El Paso forward Benjamin Winkelmann found an opening and capitalized on a
loose puck, scoring his fifth goal of the season to give the Rhinos a 1-0 lead.
Despite the deficit, Colorado looked to bounce back fast. With just under three minutes
remaining in the period when forward Lucas Mann buried the equalizer. His shot found the back
of the net and brought the game level at 1-1, sending the teams into the first intermission tied.
Colorado wasted no time grabbing the lead in the second frame, as Nolan Smith buried a short-
side goal just 39 seconds into the period, putting the Grit ahead 2-1. Fast pace play continued
with both teams trading penalties, leading to a stretch of 4-on-4 play. The extra space worked
in Colorado’s favor, as Evan Smutney pounced on a rebound to extend the lead to 3-1.
However, the Rhinos refused to go away quietly. With 7:17 left in the period, Roope Tuomioksa
cut the deficit to one, finishing off a beautiful feed from Kyle Arias. Colorado’s discipline issues
continued late in the period, as they took a costly tripping penalty with just ten seconds left,
giving El Paso a power-play opportunity heading into the final frame.
The Rhinos wasted no time making Colorado pay for their late penalty. Just 33 seconds into the
third period, Andrew DellaDonna found the back of the net, tying the game at 3-3 and swinging
momentum in El Paso’s favor.
El Paso thought they had taken the lead on a power-play goal,but after review, the referee
waved off the goal for a high stick. The game took a rough turn when Rhinos forward Kimble
delivered a massive hit that was ruled a five-minute major for head contact, resulting in his
ejection. However, Colorado was also assessed a roughing penalty in response, leading to two
minutes of 4-on-4 action before the Grit had a brief power-play.
The game tightened up, leading to a physical and chippy remainder of the game. Neither side
could break through, and regulation ended with the score still tied, forcing overtime.
In the fast-paced 3-on-3 overtime, it was the Rhinos who found the decisive moment. Harper
Lolacher sealed the win for El Paso, slipping behind the defense and burying a slick backhand
shot past the Colorado goaltender to end the game.
The loss marks yet another frustrating night for the Grit. Looking forward, the Grit will get their
chance for revenge as the two teams are set to face off again tomorrow night. The Grit will look
to shake the three game skid and get back on track.
Feb 1, 2025 | Game Recap
The Colorado Grit fought throughout the night but ultimately fell short in a 3-2 shootout loss
against the Shreveport Mudbugs on Saturday night. The defeat marked another loss for
Colorado during their playoff push, extending their winless streak over the last two years and
sealing a weekend sweep for the Mudbugs.
The Grit came out hot, looking to snap their drought. They struck first when forward Sheldon
Rioux found the back of the net with his seventh goal of the season, giving Colorado an early 1-
0 lead. However, Shreveport wasted little time responding. Forward Andrej Paricka capitalized
and buried an unassisted goal, leveling the score at 1-1.
Colorado stole the lead back halfway through the period when Lucca Ori took advantage of a
defensive play, slipping one past the Mudbugs’ goaltender. The Grit’s momentum was short-
lived, though, as Paricka struck again, scoring his second of the game to send the teams into
the first intermission deadlocked at 2-2.
The second period saw an increase in physicality and goaltending. Both teams tightened up
defensively, and goaltenders made big saves on both sides of the ice. The Mudbugs earned two
power plays while the Grit had one, but neither team could convert. Strong defensive efforts and
solid goaltending kept the score at 2-2 heading into the third period.
The physicality continued into the third period, but the Grit struggled to generate any offensive
momentum, managing only three shots on goal. Shreveport dictated the pace for much of the
period, but Colorado’s goaltender stood firm to keep the game level. Despite a late push from
the Mudbugs, regulation ended with the same 2-2 tie that had been held since the first period.
With both teams locked in a defensive standoff, overtime provided little chance for mistakes.
The goaltenders continued to stand tall, denying every opportunity thrown their way. With
neither side able to break through, the game went into a shootout.
It took just three shooters for Shreveport to seal the victory. Colorado’s shooters were unable to
beat the Mudbugs’ netminder, while Shreveport managed to bury the winning attempt, clinching
the win and completing their weekend sweep.
Despite a promising start, the Grit remain winless over the past two seasons. Looking forward,
your Grit will take on the El Paso Rhinos on the road Friday.
