Grizzlies visit Eccles Ice Center, fall to Steelheads
Heading into their second preseason game, the Utah Grizzlies looked to repeat on the success they found in the first.
After a 4-2 win against the Idaho Steelheads in the preseason opener, the Grizzlies hosted their second preseason game at the Eccles Ice Center Saturday night. Despite carrying a 2-0 lead into the third period, the Grizzlies fell to the Steelheads 3-2 in a shootout.
Chad Nehring, who potted the first Idaho goal of the game, scored again in the shootout to lift the Steelheads over Utah. Idaho goaltender Thomas Speer was nearly perfect. The goalie took over in the third period and only gave up one goal to Utah skaters in the shootout.
The Grizzlies offense was lead by goals from Jeff LoVecchio and Tyson Dowzak.
The two first-period goals were far from the Grizzlies only opportunities of the period. Utah had possibly its best chance of the period when defenseman Derick Martin and forward Justin Dowling found themselves with a 2-on-0, in front of the goal.
“I was just waiting for a pass across to one time it into the goal,” Dowling said. “All of the sudden Derick stopped skating, and I looked up and the net’s along the boards. I don’t know if he pushed it off or what, but I’ve never seen that before.”
Idaho goaltender Steve Christie stood up knocking the goal off its pegs and into the boards. The controversial move prevented a Utah goal and fired up players on both benches.
The early 2-on-0 opportunity was far from Dowling’s only chance of the game. The center, who just joined the Grizzlies from their American Hockey League affiliate Abbotsford Heat, played well all night. His nifty stick work opened plenty of Grizzly opportunities.
“It’s tough buzzing around the net so much and not being able to put the puck in the net,” Dowling said.
Dowling added one assist on a pass to LoVecchio, who turned and went top shelf against Christie for the Grizzlies’ first goal of the game, at the 10-minute mark.
“We’ve got a bunch of new guys, so we’ve got to get that chemistry going,” said Grizzlie goalkeeper Shane Owen.
Down 2-0 after 20 minutes of play, the Steelheads came out strong, but frustration got the best of both teams. In the second period alone the Grizzlies faced 18 minutes of total penalties. Despite the chippy play, the Grizzlies lead held strong, due in part to big saves made by Owen.
Utah came out of the second intermission looking a little too comfortable with its two-goal lead.
The Steelheads cut the lead to one with Nehring’s goal and then tied it up with a well-played 3-on-5 power play, with three minutes left in the period.
“We felt too good about ourselves going into the third period with a two-goal lead,” said Utah head coach Kevin Colley. “That just goes with maturity, and guys are going to have to learn how to close games out.”
Owen stepped up once again to make big saves and send the game to overtime, and then to send the game to a shootout, but the Grizzlies fell short of the win.
“You’re a little bit nervous at first,” Owen said. “You want to make those saves for the team. It’s definitely tough, and you’ve got to be ready for it.”
Idaho outshot the Grizzlies 15-6 in the third period. The two Steelhead goalies combined for 25 saves, while Owen tallied 30 of his own for the Grizzlies.
“There are a lot of positives to build on,” Cooley said. “We were able to control the game at our pace and that’s a positive.”
Both Utah and Idaho will have a week off from games as training camps continue. The two teams will face off once again Oct. 14 in Salt Lake City, in the first game of the regular season.
“We’re a little banged up, but we’ve got a week off,” Dowling said. “It’s going to be nice to heal up, rest our bodies and clear our minds a bit.”
– meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu