A Colorado comeback fell just short in overtime amid Sheldon Rioux’s multi-goal night on Saturday night as the Grit fell 4-3 to New Mexico in Albuquerque at Outpost Ice Arena.

 

The home side got the scoring started early in the first period when defenseman Max Matthews pushed a wrist shot past Colorado netminder Jack Erickson and into the back of the net to push New Mexico ahead, 1-0, with 13:58 remaining in the first period. The tally was just the second time the Ice Wolves had tallied in the last 128 minutes against Erickson. After the Grit notched their first successful penalty kill of the evening, the Ice Wolves countered with their first successful power play of the contest. A corner hit from Evan Smutney sent him to the box for boarding and forward Andrew Earl snapped a wrist shot into the net to double the lead for the Ice Wolves, 2-0, with 5:13 remaining in the first period. 

 

From the moment the teams hit the ice for the second period, the comeback was on for Colorado. The Grit offense dominated possession and the shot count in the middle frame, sending 19 shots towards New Mexico goaltender Jackson Fuller. After Willy Johnson forced a turnover behind the Ice Wolve net, he pushed a pass to the top of the crease and Sheldon Rioux powered the puck past Fuller to get the Grit on the board, 2-1, just 3:58 into the second period. Colorado kept knocking on the door and looking for a tying tally and found one through second-year center Landon West. West capitalized on a strong rush to the net from Luc Bydal and poked the loose change past Fuller to tie the game, 2-2, with 2:16 remaining in the second period. West’s 13th career goal moved him into a tie for second place in franchise history for goals scored alongside captain Alex German.

 

The teams traded tallies early in the third period with New Mexico grabbing a lead for the second time. Ice Wolve forward Bryce Johnson, reinserted in the lineup after missing Friday, barreled into the offensive zone and beat Erickson to restore the home lead, 3-2, with 5:54 played in the third period. Colorado quickly found an answer, however. Rioux capped off his first multi-goal game in his career when he punched a shot past Fuller to tie the game up less than a minute later, 3-3, with 13:08 remaining in regulation.

 

The tie forced an extra session and the Grit’s lone goal scoring chance was a good one. Defenseman Alex German found space on the left wing and fired a shot at Fuller, who made a glove stop and the carom clipped the crossbar on the way out of play. On the ensuing rush, Herman Asberg skated down the left hand side and Erickson padded the first shot behind the net. The rebound was served back in front after a deflection and Asberg deposited the overtime winner, 4-3, with 1:16 left in the extra session to give New Mexico the extra point.