Grizzlies Gameday: Dec. 27, 2024 - Rapid City at Utah

Grizzlies Gameday: Dec. 27, 2024 – Rapid City at Utah

Rapid City Rush (6-14-4-3, 19 points, .352 point %) @ Utah Grizzlies (7-16-3, 17 points, .327 point %) 

Date: December 27, 2024 Venue: Maverik Center Game Time: 7:10 pm. 

Streaming: FloHockey – https://www.flohockey.tv/events/12620227-2024-rapid-city-rush-vs-utah-grizzlies?nav_id=75 

Audio/Radio: Grizzlies YouTube channel. – https://www.youtube.com/@THEUTAHGRIZZLIES

Next Home Game: December 28, 2024 – Rapid City @ Utah. 7:10 pm. 

Tickets for every Grizzlies home game are available at utahgrizzlies.com or by calling (801) 988-8000. Every Grizzlies game can be streamed on FloHockey and audio coverage is available on the Grizzlies YouTube channel. 

Friday’s Matchup

It’s the third of ten regular season meetings on the season between the Grizzlies and Rush. Utah swept Rapid City in a two-game series at The Monument, winning 4-3 in a shootout on October 25^th and 5-2 on October 26^th. Utah is 57-35-14 all-time vs Rapid City and 7-3-1 vs RC since the beginning of the 2023-24 season. 

Neil Shea Named League Player of the Week

Neil Shea of the Utah Grizzlies is the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for Dec. 16-22.

Shea scored three goals and 1 assist vs Tahoe on December 21, 2024. It was Utah’s first hat trick since Dylan Fitze scored 3 goals at Kansas City on February 23, 2024. Shea scored six points (4g, 2a) in three-games last week vs Tahoe. 

Grizzlies Star Performers

Derek Daschke has a point in 10 of his last 11 games and a point or more in 15 of 19 games this season. Daschke leads Utah with 17 assists, 21 points and a +3 rating on the year. 

Neil Shea has a goal in 7 of 9 games this season and a point in 8 of 9. Shea has 42 shots in 9 games this season and has a 21.4 shooting %. Shea leads Utah forwards in plus/minus (+2). Shea registered Utah’s first hat trick of the 2024-25 season. Shea has 3 or more shots in 8 of 9 games.  

Keaton Mastrodonato has a goal in 4 straight games. 

Gianni Fairbrother is tied for third for goals among defensemen (8). The captain has a goal in 2 straight games. 

Cole Gallant leads Utah forwards with 14 assists. 

Briley Wood has 5 goals in his last 8 games and 11 points (6g, 5a) in his last 11 games. Wood has a point in 9 of his last 11 games. 

Andrew Nielsen has 8 assists in 9 games for Utah. 

Cole Fonstad has 7 assists in 9 games. 

Utah is 7-4-2 when Bryan Yoon plays. 

Luke Manning has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 6 games. 

Goaltender Vinny Duplessis has a win in 2 straight games.  

Grizzlies Team Notes 

Utah has scored 18 goals in their last 3 games. They have 6 goals in each of their last 3 games. Utah is 7-1-1 when they score 4 or more goals. Utah has a second period goal in 12 straight games. Utah is 5-0 when leading after 2 periods. Utah is 3-1 when leading after 1 period. Utah is 4-2-2 when outshooting opponents. Utah is 2-1-3 in one goal games. Utah is 4-3-2 when scoring first. 36 of their 78 goals this season came in the second period(s). Utah has 6 power play goals in their last 8 games.

Games vs Rapid City

October 25, 2024 – Utah 4 Rapid City 3 (Shootout) – Neil Shea, Bryan Yoon and Reed Lebster each scored a goal for Utah. Lebster added the shootout game winner. Utah outshot RC 45 to 35. Utah went 1 for 3 on the power play, Rapid City was 1 for 2. Adam Scheel saved 32 of 35 and 3 of 4 in the shootout. 

October 26, 2024 – Utah 5 Rapid City 2 – Kade Jensen had 1 goal and 1 assist, Luke Manning had 2 assists and the Grizz also got goals from Cameron Buhl, Derek Daschke, Mick Messner and Neil Shea. Adam Scheel saved 33 of 35 in the win. 

Games Last Week. 

December 18, 2024 – Tahoe 7 Utah 6 – Utah got goals from 6 different forwards. Briley Wood got the tying goal with 3:54 left in the third period. Derek Daschke, Mick Messner and Andrew Nielsen each had 2 assists. Nielsen was a +2 to lead Utah. Utah outshot Tahoe 41 to 36. Utah went 1 for 2 on the power play, Tahoe was 1 for 1. 

December 20, 2024 – Tahoe 3 Utah 6 – Vinny Duplessis saved 34 of 37 to earn his first pro win. Keaton Mastrodonato had 1 goal and 1 assist. Luke Manning, Andrew Nielsen and Bryan Yoon each had 2 assists. Craig Armstrong, Derek Daschke, Gianni Fairbrother, Mick Messner and Neil Shea each had 1 goal. Tahoe outshot Utah 37 to 27. 

December 21, 2024 – Tahoe 4 Utah 6 – Neil Shea scored 3 goals and 1 assist in the victory. Gianni Fairbrother, Keaton Mastrodonato and Bryan Yoon each scored 1 goal and 1 assist. Tahoe outshot Utah 28 to 22. Utah was 1 for 3 on the power play and 3 for 3 on the penalty kill. 

Recent Transactions

December 22 – Defenseman James Shearer was suspended by team and removed from roster. 

December 18 – Grizzlies sign defenseman Cody Corbett. 

December 15 – Forward Neil Shea reassigned to the Grizzlies from Colorado (AHL). 

December 12 – Grizzlies sign forward Brayden Nicholetts. 

December 12 – Grizzlies release defenseman Kyle Pow.

December 12 - Forward Keaton Mastrodonato reassigned to Utah from Colorado (AHL). 

Milestones

Both Derek Daschke and Cole Gallant appeared in their 100^th professional games on December 20. Mick Messner has appeared in 104 professional games, all of them with the Grizzlies. Messner has played in 104 straight games since joining the club. Cody Corbett played in his 200^th ECHL game on December 21^st vs Tahoe. 

Rapid City Rush

On December 6^th Head Coach and General Manager Scott Burt took a medical leave of absence as he navigates a potential health issue. Burt is in his fourth season with Rapid City. Burt played with the Grizzlies during the 2007-08 season where he tied with current Grizzlies Head Coach Ryan Kinasewich for the club lead with 60 points. Burt played for 6 seasons with the Idaho Steelheads, where his number 12 is retired and hanging on the wall at Idaho Central Arena. 

Grizzlies Trivia

In the first game since the Christmas break the Grizzlies are 12-7 in the ECHL era and 18-11 all-time. 

December 29, 2021 was a day Grizzlies fans will never forget. Utah was scrambling for a goaltender as they were at Rapid City and due to call-ups and positive COVID tests the Grizzlies didn’t have a goaltender for their December 29, 2021 game at Rapid City. They found 19 year-old college freshman Brady Devries, who is a Rapid City native and was at home on Christmas break and got a call as the Grizz needed and emergency starting goalies. Devries saved 19 of 22 and led the Grizzlies to a 4-3 overtime victory as Trey Bradley scored the game winner. Devries is the first emergency starting goaltender in recent memory to earn a victory in a professional game. 

Utah Grizzlies 2024-2025 Roster

Forwards (17): Aaron Aragon, Craig Armstrong, Adam Berg, Cameron Buhl, Dylan Fitze, Cole Fonstad, Cole Gallant, Reed Lebster, Luke Manning, Keaton Mastrodonato, Mick Messner, Cade Neilson, Brayden Nicholetts, Neil Shea, Tyson Upper, Blake Wells, Briley Wood. 

Defenseman (8): Cody Corbett,Derek Daschke, Kabore Dunn, Gianni Fairbrother, Kade Jensen, Andrew Nielsen, Dilan Savenkov, Bryan Yoon. 

Goaltenders (2): Jake Barczewski, Vincent Duplessis. 

2024-2025 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals 

Overall record: 7-16-3

Home record: 4-7-2

Road record: 3-9-1

Win percentage: .327

Standings Points: 17

Last 10: 2-7-1

Streak: 2-0-1

Goals per game: 3.00 (14^th)  Goals for: 78

Goals against per game: 4.69 (29^th) Goals Against: 122

Shots per game: 30.62 (12^th) 

Shots against per game: 34.81 (28^th)

Power Play: 13 for 78 – 16.7 % (17^st) 

Penalty Kill: 38 for 65 – 58.5 % (29^th)

Penalty Minutes: 269. 10.35 per game. 

Shorthanded Goals: 2.  

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 1. 

Record When Scoring First: 4-3-2.

Opposition Scores First: 3-13-1. 

Record in One Goal Games: 2-1-3 

Games Decided Past Regulation: 2-0-3 

Team Leaders 

Goals: Neil Shea (9) 

Assists: Derek Daschke (17) 

Points: Daschke (21) 

Plus/Minus: Daschke (+3) 

PIM: Andrew Nielsen (32) 

Power Play Points: Daschke/Mick Messner (6)

Power Play Goals: Briley Wood (3) 

Power Play Assists: Daschke (5)

Shots on Goal: Mick Messner (77) 

Shooting Percentage: Neil Shea (21.4%) - Minimum 40 shots. 

Game Winning Goals: Cameron Buhl/Derek Daschke/Gianni Fairbrother/Kade Jensen/Keaton Mastrodonato/Bryan Yoon (1) 

Wins: Adam Scheel (5)

Save %: Scheel (.885) 

Goals Against Average: Scheel (3.98) 

Streaks 

Goals: Keaton Mastrodonato (4) Gianni Fairbrother, Neil Shea (2) Gianni Fairbrother, Bryan Yoon (1)

Assists: Cole Fonstad (3) Mastrodonato, Bryan Yoon (2) Derek Daschke, Mick Messner, Briley Wood (1) 

Points (2 or more): Daschke (5) Mastrodonato (4) Fonstad, Messner, Shea (3) Fairbrother, Yoon (2)

Multiple Point Games

5 – Derek Daschke

4 – Mick Messner, Briley Wood

3 – Luke Manning, Andrew Nielsen, Neil Shea. 

2 – Aaron Aragon, Gianni Fairbrother, Cole Gallant, Reed Lebster, Keaton Mastrodonato, Bryan Yoon. 

1 – Cameron Buhl, Dylan Fitze, Cole Fonstad, Kade Jensen, Cade Neilson.