Jan 31, 2025 | Game Recap
The Colorado Grit entered the game looking to end their losing streak against the Shreveport
Mudbugs, having gone 0-4 against the Mudbugs last season, the Grit were hungry to change the
narrative. However, despite a fast start, Colorado fell short as Shreveport pulled away in the
second period and shut the door in the third to secure a 5-2 victory.
The Grit wasted no time making their presence felt. Just 21 seconds into the game, forward
Lucas Mann found the back of the net for his third goal of the season, giving Colorado an
immediate 1-0 lead. The early tally set the tone for a high-paced and physical matchup.
Shreveport quickly responded, with Lucas Deeb snapping home a wrist shot to even the game at
1-1. The back-and-forth continued when Greeley forward Nicholas Noble took advantage of a
defensive miscue, scoring unassisted at 10:13 to regain the lead for Colorado. However, the
Mudbugs weren’t done, as Brent Litchard buried his 14th goal of the season, slamming home a
net-front opportunity to knot the score at 2-2 heading into the first intermission.
Shreveport turned it up in the second period, and it paid off. At the 10-minute mark, Kyan
Haldenby pounced on a rebound from the slot and beat the Grit goaltender to give the Mudbugs
their first lead of the night at 3-2.
Momentum stayed with the home team as Gleb Akimov extended the lead to 4-2, putting
Colorado on their heels. Tempers flared at the end of the period, leading to a heated scrum that
made officials separate the two sides before heading to the locker room.
The final frame was a physical battle, with both teams trading hits and battling. The Grit had
three power play opportunities but failed to capitalize, unable to break through Shreveport’s
disciplined penalty kill.
Colorado pushed the pace, generating several scoring chances, but Mudbugs’ goaltending stood
tall, denying every attempt. In the closing minutes, Brent Litchard sealed the victory with his
second goal of the night, delivering the final dagger and securing the 5-2 win for Shreveport.
The Colorado Grit and Shreveport Mudbugs will rematch tomorrow night at 7 p.m. as the Grit
look to bounce back from the tough loss.
Jan 26, 2025 | Game Recap
An elite powerplay unit and solid goaltending performance power the Grit to a 4-2 win over the Odessa Jackalopes Saturday night at the Greeley Ice Haus.
The Grit came into the game looking to bounce back, currently sitting at 14-17, one seed out from playoff contention. The Jackalopes look to sweep the weekend series and continue increasing their playoff hopes, currently at 17-16.
Odessa got the scoring going early as defenseman Caden Morgan buried a snapshot from the left point only 3:59 into the game. The Jackalopes dominated early in the first period, but the Grit got back on track on the powerplay as Grit defenseman Luke Helgeson tipped home a shot from Lucca Ori on only the second shot of the game for Colorado. The game got chippy as a scrum in the corner led to offsetting penalties and for Odessa forward Chistian Tavare to be ejected from the game. Both goaltenders locked down the nets for the remainder of the period, sending the game to intermission tied at one apiece.
This game marked the first career NAHL start for Colorado goaltender Nolan Francis. Out of North Ridgeville, Ohio, Francis looked to leave a mark in his first chance between the pipes. Saving 30 out of 32 shots, Francis made huge saves throughout the night, including shutting the door on a breakaway in the second to keep the score even, along with a huge glove save in the third to preserve the lead. The Grit defense dominated, holding the Odessa powerplay to scoreless(0/6).
Fresh off of a dominant penalty kill, Grit forward Sheldon Rioux buried the wrist shot on a two on one to open the second period scoring early making the score 2-1. The lead was short lived however as less than a minute later, the Jackalopes answered back again as defenseman Shea Barry deflected home the equalizer on a shot from forward Nicholas Puricelli.
Boos rained down from the crowd as for the second night in a row, the Grit had a goal waived off by the officials. Boos quickly turned to cheering as Grit defenseman Evan Smutney ripped home a powerplay goal with 4:39 left to play in the period. In a period filled with penalties, the Grit entered the locker room with a 3-2 advantage.
Grit Defenseman Alexander German made his return to the lineup tonight and made an instant impact, registering an assist and several big hits throughout the night.
The third period was a back-and-forth battle dominated by the goalies. Despite power play opportunities from both teams, neither team was able to open the game up. The Grit defense held on in the final minutes and buried an empty-net goal to end the game 4-2 and even the weekend series.
Looking forward to next weekend, the Grit will take on the Shreveport Mudbugs on January 31
Jan 24, 2025 | Game Recap
Third period struggles and a lights out performance from Odessa Jackalopes goaltender William Svard Karphed fueled a 1-5 Grit loss Friday night at the Greeley Ice Haus.
The Colorado Grit entered the game sitting at 14-16 (5-2 in conference) currently at seventh place in the conference while the opposing Odessa Jackalopes came into the contest sitting at 16-16. Both teams coming off of two game losing streaks, looked to bounce back during their push to the playoffs.
From the drop of the puck both teams looked to establish a physical brand of hockey. Hard forecheck and dump and chase offense on both ends of the ice led to a scoreless game through most of the first period. However, a penalty from Odessa forward James Richman opened up the Grit offense. Forward Ben Rakowski redirected a shot from Grit defenseman Evan Smutney to open up the scoring with 5:52 left in the period. Less than a minute later, Richman made amends, burying a short side goal to even the game at one goal a piece. Despite another Grit powerplay late in the period, the Jackalopes were able to hold off the Grit, ending the period tied 1-1.
After the physical start, the game opened up, creating many more offensive chances. Grit goaltender Peter Sterling came up huge early in the second, denying a breakaway attempt from the Jackalopes. After another Grit powerplay came up for short, Rakowski appeared to tip in his second goal of the game, before referees quickly came in to wave off the goal for a high stick.
Matching penalties from the Grit and Jackalopes led to two minutes of four on four hockey where Jackalopes forward Caden Ghiossi buried the rebound to give them a 2-1 lead. Despite out shooting Odessa 23-15, the Grit found themselves down a goal after two periods.
In a night that saw the Grit dominate offensive time of possession, Svard Karphed stood tall for the Jackalopes, denying 28 of the Grits 29 shots throughout the game. Costly turnovers plagued the Grit throughout the third period. With 8:18 left in the third period, Odessa forward Jeremy Jacobs ripped home a goal from the high slot. Just over a minute later the Jackalopes struck again as forward Jordan Larkee buried his 10th of the season extending the lead to three. Jacobs would add one more for Odessa, netting his second of the game and seventh of the year ending the game with the score 1-5 in favor of the Jackalopes.
Looking forward, both teams have a short turnaround as they will be rematching tomorrow at 4:05 p.m. at the Greeley Ice Haus.
Jan 4, 2025 | Game Recap
Nolan Smith netted his first NAHL goal and Alec Babineau bagged a second consecutive game-winning goal en route to a 5-3 Colorado victory to complete a series sweep over El Paso on Saturday afternoon in Greeley.
For the second consecutive afternoon, El Paso found the scoreboard first. A coverage breakdown gave Rhino forward AJ Reed a pocket of space in the high slot. Reed took advantage and pumped a wrist shot over Colorado netminder Pete Sterling and into the back of the net to give El Paso the lead, 1-0, with 10:08 remaining in the first period. The Grit would equalize late in the frame, thanks to familiar faces finding the scoresheet again. Luc Bydal created a turnover in the left wing corner and walked the puck to front of the net and swung a cross-ice pass for Poirier, who banged the puck past Rhino goaltender Logan Hughes to tie the score, 1-1, with 3:40 left in the first period.
The Grit would pick up their first lead in fortuitous fashion at the halfway mark of the second period. A shot from the left point was knocked down and redirected by Luke Helgeson in front of the Rhino net. The puck skittered towards the goal line and appeared to cross into the net which some Grit skaters celebrated. The referee emphatically signaled for play to continue and in the confusion, Willy Johnson batted the puck back in. After a review, the goal stood to give the Grit a 2-1 lead with 10:09 remaining in the second period. The lead lasted less than a minute when Reed banged a rebound past Sterling for his second goal of the contest to tie the game, 2-2, with 9:25 left in the middle frame. The Grit struck back minutes later thanks to the rookie finding the net for the first time. A set play off the faceoff sprung Smith into space on the near wing and his wrist shot found the top corner of the net behind Hughes to push Colorado ahead, 3-2, with 6:26 to play in the period.
The Grit carried the lead into the final frame, but were undone by an early tally from the Rhinos to tie the game. Sterling was unable to fully cover a rebound and Rhino rookie Ben Winklemann became the beneficiary and pushed the rebound underneath Sterling’s pad and into the back of the net to pull El Paso even, 3-3, just over three minutes into the third period. The two teams tightened up in the neutral zone and battled to a draw over the next ten plus minutes. With 5:39 left in regulation, Babineau found the breakthrough for the Grit. Sheldon Rioux wrapped the puck around the net and found Luc Cernohous edging in from the point. Cernohous’ slap shot was blocked and caromed right to Babineau who then lifted a backhander past Hughes to elevate the Grit in front, 4-3. El Paso aimed for a tying goal and pulled Hughes for the extra attacker with ninety seconds remaining. Luc Bydal fired the puck the length of the ice and into the empty net to cap off a five-point weekend and seal the 5-3 victory with 1:03 remaining in the contest.
Jan 3, 2025 | Game Recap
Goaltender Pete Sterling made a season-high 44 saves and Alec Babineau tucked away the shootout winner in the eighth round to get Colorado the extra point in a wild 4-3 win over the El Paso Rhinos on Friday night in Greeley.
It was the visitors who got the scoring started midway through the first period. On their first power play of the game, the Rhinos found the front foot when winger Ty Gordon slipped a snapshot from the right wing circle under Sterling and into the net to give El Paso a 1-0 lead with 10:51 to play in the period. The top line for Colorado continued humming as they pushed the score even late in the frame. George Poirier connected with Luc Bydal on a rink-wide pass and Bydal slammed the puck past Rhino goaltender Matthew DellaRusso to tie the game, 1-1, with 3:14 remaining in the first period.
The two teams traded goals and leads for a second time in the second period. Right out of the media timeout, Bydal and Poirier connected again with Poirier providing the finishing touch. Bydal dangled past two Rhinos in the left wing corner and fired a pass to the low slot and Poirier darted a wrist shot into the back of the net to push the Grit in front, 2-1, with 9:48 left in the second period. It was El Paso’s turn to tie the game late in the period, thanks to rookie Jacob Solano. Solano wired a one-timer from the right wing and pinged it off the post and past Sterling for his tenth goal of the season to tie the game, 2-2, with 2:11 remaining in the second period.
The Rhinos snared the lead back in the early stages of the third frame on a Grit turnover in the defensive zone. On the takeaway, El Paso winger Rasmus Nouisianen waited out Sterling in the low slot and roofed a wrist shot over the stick of the Grit netminder to push the Rhinos ahead for the second time, 3-2, with 17:10 left in regulation. Another late equalizer brought Colorado back even, thanks to the top line for a third time. Winger Sheldon Rioux raced down the near wing and swung a pass to the near wing for Bydal who fired a shot on goal. The rebound sprung right to Poirier who banged the puck past DellaRusso to tie the game, 3-3, with 3:57 left in regulation.
Overtime came and went without either team generating a goal-scoring opportunity and the teams headed to the shootout for the second time this season. Both DellaRusso and Sterling were at their top of the game, stopping each of the first seven shooters. Sterling came up with a pivotal eighth save on Rhino forward Beckett Hinschsliff and turned the game over to Babineau. The center glided down the center of the ice and roofed a wrist shot over the glove of Hughes and into the net, setting off a raucous celebration off the Grit bench that surrounded both Babineau and Sterling at center ice.
Dec 30, 2024 | Game Recap
Early offense and a 37-save effort from Colorado goaltender Jack Erickson were spoiled by four unanswered Oklahoma goals as the Warriors defeated the Colorado Grit, 4-2, on Saturday afternoon in Greeley to salvage a series split.
Winger Luc Bydal stayed hot and opened the scoring for the Grit when he marched down the left wing into the low slot and fired a wrist shot past Oklahoma goaltender Kyle Jones to give Colorado a 1-0 lead with 15:28 remaining in the first period. For the second night running, George Poirier promptly added to the tally within a minute. A Sheldon Rioux wrist shot banged off Jones’ left pad and the team’s leading goal scorer redirected the rebound into the cage to double the lead, 2-0, with less than five and a half minutes played in the first period. Oklahoma got on the board with their first even strength goal of the weekend series. Sebastian Speck boomed a slap shot from the left wing past Erickson to halve the deficit at the 8:11 mark of the first period. A successful penalty kill for Colorado in the final five minutes of the first period following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to Ethan McEnenany ensured the lead stayed at 2-1 for the Grit headed into the first intermission.
A flurry of penalties opened the second period. Less than two minutes into the frame, Warrior forward Louie Kamienski and Bydal got tangled up behind the play and would only be separated by the officials at the whistle. The pair got sent to the box with offsetting minors and Bydal was soon joined by Evan Smutney, who picked up a tripping minor and sent Oklahoma to the power play with 16:13 left in the period. The Grit penalty kill found success at their second time of asking, but the Warriors converted on their third power play opportunity to tie the game. Speck again blasted a slapshot, this time from the right point. Erickson slowed it down with his glove, but watched the puck scurry past him and the red light flashed as the Warriors tied the game, 2-2, with 7:04 left in the second period. Late in the period, Speck crashed the net looking for a rebound and Cole Peters came to the defense of Erickson by shoving Speck away from the crease. The pair were sent to the box with 3:31 left in the second period, but neither team was able to take advantage of the four-on-four space and the teams exited tied, 2-2, after two periods.
An offensive onslaught from Oklahoma marked the final twenty minutes. Erickson stepped up for the Grit, making 16 saves on 17 shots in the final period to give the Grit a chance to take the lead. Instead, a turnover in the defensive zone made its way to the stick of Travis Bryson. The leading goal scorer for the Warriors made no mistake and blistered a slap shot off the crossbar and into the net to give Oklahoma their first lead of the night, 3-2, with 12:45 remaining in regulation. A furious rally from Colorado in the final three minutes was aided by the extra attacker when Erickson was sent to the bench to try and find an equalizing goal. The Grit tried to carry the puck out of their own zone, but were undone by a missed pass and Joey DeRosa ripped the puck into an open net to make the score, 4-2, in favor of the visitors with 1:26 left to play. DeRosa’s celebration was right in the face of Grit captain Alex German, who didn’t take kindly to the exultation and was quickly surrounded by DeRosa and three other Warriors before the officials broke the sparring parties apart. German and winger Dominik Kiss were sent to the penalty box and the Grit were on the power play for the rest of regulation, but were unable to convert while the remaining time rolled off the clock.
