Grizzlies Win 6-4 Thriller on Teddy Bear Toss Night
West Valley City, Utah – The Utah Grizzlies got 3 goals and 1 assist from Neil Shea and a 1 goal and 1 assist performance from Gianni Fairbrother, Keaton Mastrodonato and Bryan Yoon as they earned a 6-4 victory over the Tahoe Knight Monsters on the Teddy Bear Toss and Ugly Sweater Night at Maverik Center.
Tahoe took a quick 2-0 lead after Bear Hughes scored 4:53 in and Sloan Stanick got his 13th goal of the year 8:50 in. Gianni Fairbrother scored the Teddy Bear Toss goal 11:18 in to get Utah on the board. The Grizzlies broke a team record as 5,390 teddy bears and stuffed animals were thrown onto the Maverik Center ice. Late in the first period Keaton Mastrodonato tied the game with 18 seconds left in the frame. The score was tied after one period.
It stayed a 2-2 tie for the majority of the second period before Neil Shea scored Utah’s second shorthanded goal of the season with 34 seconds left in the frame to give Utah a 3-2 lead. Utah now has a second period goal in 12 straight games.
Tahoe tied the game when Stanick scored his second of the night on an odd man rush 7:15 into the third. Shea gave Utah a 4-3 lead as he scored from the left wing on a power play 14:23 in. Utah went 1 for 3 on the power play. Tahoe got on a power play when Bryan Yoon got a hooking minor 15:39 in. Utah was successful on the penalty kill and then Utah scored the eventual game winner as Yoon fired a slap shot from the right wing 7 seconds after his returned to the ice from his penalty 17:46 in to make it a 5-3 game. Utah is now 7-4-2 in the 13 games Bryan Yoon has appeared in this season.
Tahoe cut into Utah’s lead when Jake McGrew scored with 1 minute 42 seconds left. Shea earned Utah’s first hat trick of the season when he scored on an empty net 18:53 in. It was the first Grizzlies hat trick since Dylan Fitze scored 3 goals at Kansas City on February 23, 2024. It was Shea’s first professional hat trick.
Tahoe outshot Utah 28 to 28. Vinny Duplessis got the victory for Utah as he stopped 24 of 28. Tahoe’s Jordan Papirny saved 16 of 21 in the loss.
The Grizzlies return to Maverik Center for a two-game series against the Rapid City Rush on December 27th and 28th. Face-off both nights is at 7:10 pm. Tickets are available at utahgrizzlies.com
3 stars
- Neil Shea (Utah) – 3 goals, 1 assist, +2, 3 shots.
- Bryan Yoon (Utah) – 1 goal, 1 assist, +1, 2 shots.
- Gianni Fairbrother (Utah) – 1 goal, 1 assist, +1, 2 shots.
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