After the week off, the Colorado Grit returned to home ice, ready for a battle against the New Mexico Ice Wolves. The energy was high, but despite a gritty effort, they couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 5-2.

The game opened with intensity, both teams pushing the pace early.  Colorado goaltender Peter Sterling stood tall, making a massive breakaway stop to keep the game scoreless.

Wolves Andrew Earl deflected a point shot to open the scoring for the Wolves. Sterling continued to shine, robbing the Wolves near the end of the frame. However, despite his efforts, the Grit trailed 1-0 heading into intermission.

The Ice Wolves got another one to go early in the second, but the Grit looked to battle back. Their persistence paid off when defenseman Luke Helgeson buried a rebound on the power play, cutting the deficit to 2-1 with seven minutes left.

The Ice wolves answered back with a goal from Ethan Hull. Before the period ended, Stanley Hubbard tacked on another for the Wolves, putting the Grit in a 4-1 hole heading into the final 20 minutes.

Determined to claw back, Colorado came out aggressive in the third. William Johnson ignited the push, netting his 12th goal of the season early in the period. The Grit poured on the pressure, battling for every puck, but New Mexico’s defense held firm.

With time winding down, the Grit pulled Sterling for an extra attacker, but the Ice Wolves capitalized, sealing the game with an empty-net goal.

Despite the loss, Colorado showed resilience, especially in the third. The Grit will get  a chance to bounce back tomorrow against the Ice Wolves at the Greeley Ice Haus.