Winners of five straight, the Utah Grizzlies were aiming to match a season high six game win streak as they battled the Kansas City Mavericks in the first of a three game set. But you can’t win them all. Despite outshooting Kansas City by a wide margin, the Grizzlies weren’t able to find the back of the net as the Mavericks escaped with a 1-0 victory.
“I think we learned a valuable lesson tonight,” head coach Tim Branham said. “I don’t think that was a hot goaltender because he saw everything. You’ve got to bear down and get the job done. You have to bear down and get dirty and be willing to pay the price.”
Following a rather ho hum first two periods in which neither team had scored, it was Kansas City’s Loren Ulett who broke through, grabbing a 1-0 lead for the home team. Nobody knew at the time it would be the only goal of the game.
Utah was without the services of two of their top stars, Griffen Molino and Tim McGauley, both of whom were on loan to the Colorado Eagles.
A touching moment occurred on the ice before the game had even begun. Melanie Wegwerth, the mother of Grizzly forward Joe Wegwerth, dropped the ceremonial first puck. As the Grizzlies Fight Cancer Weekend commences, it was significant as Melanie is battling breast cancer and it was also her first Grizzlie game at the Maverik Center.
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