Erickson to give Amarillo a 1-0 lead. The two teams renewed hostilities after a physical 12-game season series last year when Amarillo forward Divyne Apollon was ejected for engaging in disorderly conduct and removing his helmet while initiating a fight with Grit defenseman Evan Smutney about half way through the first period. For the second game running, the Grit found the back of the net in the final minute of the first period. With 53 seconds to go in the frame, Nicholas Noble was able to score with the nifty behind-the-back pass and assist from Luke Helgeson going cross-crease to find the waiting Noble on the back door to tie the game, 1-1.
The second period became a penalty killing exhibition between two of the best penalty killing teams in the league, as the Wranglers killed off one penalty and the Grit killed off two. The two squads finished a combined 0-for-11 on the man advantage when the night ended. It was an even strength tally from the visitors that pushed them back in front. With 14:36 left on the clock, Amarillo’s forecheck from Carl Jacobsen allowed him to push a pass into the low slot where winger Corson Maguire scored his first goal of the season as he teed a slap shot past Erickson to give Amarillo a 2-1 lead.
In the third period, the Wranglers once again got the scoring started as rookie Carl Jacobson jumped behind goaltender Jack Erickson on a rebound, successfully getting his first junior goal with 15:10 to play and extending Amarillo’s lead, 3-1. The media timeout proved The Grit took a timeout with 11:38 left on the clock. Right after the timeout, center Willy Johnson pushed a faceoff win towards Noble, who rifled a shot past the glove of Amarillo netminder Charlie Zolin and brought the Grit back within one, 3-2, with 11:35 to play.
Exactly 90 seconds later, the Wranglers found their response when Trace Day, who finished with two points, wheeled a cross-ice pass to an open Andrew Morton to slam the puck into the back of the net and restore the two-goal advantage, 4-2, with 10:05 remaining. Jack Erickson. Amarillo notched their final tally with 7:06 to play when a shot from Salvatore Cerrato snapped his stick and the puck rolled to edge of the crease; rookie Nolan Davis got two whacks at the rebound and pushed the puck into the net for his first goal of the season to give Amarillo the 5-2 lead that they would carry to the final buzzer.
