Three different Grit goalscorers and a 35-save effort from goaltender Jack Erickson punctuated Teddy Bear Toss Night in Greeley as the Grit snapped a six-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over Amarillo on Friday night.

 

The Grit opened the scoring early in the first period when winger Alec Babineau netted his first goal as a member of the Grit. A weak backhander slipped past Wrangler goaltender Charles-Antoine Girard to spot Colorado the lead, 1-0, just 6:50 into the period. A pair of successful penalty kills provided the Grit another momentum boost and the home side turned another fortuitous bounce to double their advantage. Evan Smutney ripped a shot from the edge of the zone that kicked off the end boards, Girard’s right skate, and into the back of the net to give Colorado a 2-0 lead with 5:38 remaining in the first period, which they would take into the first intermission. 

 

The Grit took advantage on the power play to balloon the lead even further early in the middle frame. Alex German took a spinning forehand pass from winger George Poirier and snapped a wrist shot past Girard to lift Colorado further ahead, 3-0, with 15:01 left in the second period. Amarillo converted on a power play of their own midway through the period; Sal Cerrato rifled a shot past Erickson’s glove and spoiled a shutout bid with 10:10 left in the second period to make the scoreline 3-1. A bouncing puck found Trace Day in the high slot and he punched the puck past Erickson to bring the visitors within a goal, 3-2, with 15 seconds left in the second period.

 

Each side again had an early power play opportunity in the opening five minutes of the third period, but unlike the second, neither were able to convert. After a wide-open pace fir the first forty minutes, things tightened up towards the finish line as Colorado tried to hang on to their one-goal lead. Amarillo ripped 13 shots at Erickson in the final frame and the Grit netminder parried away each one. The Wranglers called their timeout with under ninety seconds to play and lifted Girard for the extra attacker. Frustration set in at the final buzzer as the Wranglers were unable to convert and a line brawl ensued with less than second to play on the far wing boards. After the officials culled the chaos, the puck was dropped and the final 0.5 seconds ran off the clock as the Grit polished off the victory.