Eight different goal scorers and an offensive barrage aided Colorado as they withstood a furious Odessa comeback to nab an 8-6 victory and secure the franchise’s first ever playoff berth on Friday night in Odessa.
The first period was among the best periods of hockey that the Grit have played all season long. Winger Kennan Reyelts started the scoring with a wrist shot off the post to give Colorado a 1-0 lead just 3:44 into the first period. The Grit offense exploded for three goals in six minutes in the latter stages of the first period to balloon the advantage to 4-0; Lucca Ori nabbed a shorthanded goal, Landon West slipped a wrist shot past Jackalopes netminder Aries Carangi to chase the starting netminder, and Willy Johnson redirected a wrist shot from the point into the cage. A late power play opportunity in the first period gave the Grit a chance to create a 5-0 advantage headed into the first intermission. Instead, Odessa forward Jordan Larkee collected a loose puck, barreled down the ice and buried a wrist shot over the blocker of Richard Rafaj to get Odessa on the scoreboard, 4-1, with fifteen seconds left in the period.
The Grit countered with an immediate response to start the second period. On the first shift, Ben Rakowski flipped a pass from the left wing corner towards Lucas Mann who then buried a one-timer for his eighth goal of the season to restore the four-goal cushion, 5-1, just twelve seconds into the middle frame. The goalscoring settled for much of the middle period, but the Jackalopes again used their shorthanded offense to great effect. Odessa forward Caden Ghiossi raced down the left wing and had the puck knocked off his stick, but regathered in the high slot and ripped a shot past Rafaj to cut the deficit, 5-2, with 4:53 remaining in the frame. Colorado responded immediately for the second time when George Poirier rifled a wrist shot past William Karphed to nab the Grit’s third power play goal of the game and push the score to 6-2 with 4:40 left in the second period.
The Grit appeared to have control down the stretch until a furious Jackalope rally reinvigorated the Ector County Coliseum crowd of 1,100. With 13:56 remaining, Joel L’Esperance snapped a shot from the edge of the right wing circle to trim the deficit to 6-3 for the Jackalopes. Ninety seconds later, Larkee gathered the puck off a carom from the endboards and lifted it past Rafaj to bring Odessa back within two, 6-4, with 12:21 remaining. Another shot from the point caused issues for the Grit as Nicholas Arrington’s snapshot squeaked into the back of the net and the Jackalopes pulled back within one, 6-5, with 11:33 to play. For the third time, a resilient Colorado offense struck. Sheldon Rioux tipped a point shot past Karphed to provide Colorado much needed breathing room, 7-5, with 6:20 remaining in regulation. The Jackalopes pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker while on the power play with under 2:30 to go in the third period and Christian Tavare batted a second chance rebound into the net to again tighten the gap to one, 7-6, with 2:25 left. After Rakowski pounded a shot into the empty net from center ice with 29 seconds remaining, the Grit were able to bleed the rest of the clock out successfully and pour off the bench when the final buzzer sounded.
