Grizzlies capture first home win of season

WEST VALLEY CITY — The middle period was no fun for the Utah Grizzlies, who gave up three goals then Saturday night in the E Center, but a good start and a four-goal third period gave them their first ECHL victory in their home building, 6-3 over the Victoria Salmon Kings.

The Grizzlies had lost 8-5 to the Salmon Kings Friday night in the E Center, but they started quickly Saturday with a pair of goals and ended even more strongly with the four-pack in the third.

"We've got a lot of young guys right now that are really stepping up," said Grizzlies' coach Jason Christie, whose 3-3 team is amid a four-game homestand. Victoria is 1-3 and has yet to play a home game.

Four of Utah's goals were by rookies, with Barett Ehgoetz getting their second goal in the first period and the eventual game-winning score on a 4-on-3 power play in the third period at 10:19 to make it 4-3.

Just seven seconds later on the same shift but no long with the man advantage, rookie Matt Craig scored unassisted, and rookie Garett Cameron scored into an empty net. At 19:41. The other third-period goal was a power-play score by Jeff Miles. James Laux had started things off with a scre on a power play at3:28 of the first period.

For the night, Craig, who was third in ECHL scoring going into Saturday's game with seven points including five goals, had added a goal and two assists for 10 points. Craig picked up an assist on Utah's second goal Saturday, passing to Ehgoetz in the slot from the left-wing boards and finished with Ehgoetz gave the Grizz a 2-0 lead lifting a wrist shot to the roof.

"I really like the energy Ehgoetz and Craigh are giving us," said Christie, calling it good, old-fashioned hard work that is making the youngsters who play on that line into big-time scorers. "They really stepped their game up and are playing smart hockey."

Utah's three power play goals Saturday gave it 10 for the season. It had been third in the league in that department coming into the game.

"We got in penalty trouble in the second period," said Christie, "but the guys battled back hard."

Utah is off until Friday when it hosts Alaska for two weekend games, and Christie is happy to have the practice time. "We've got a lot of work to do," he said.

---

E-mail: lham@desnews.com