ROCHESTER, Minn. – On a night where the Grizzlies honored our nation’s veterans and active military members, the team fittingly put on a good show. Rochester bounced back after a rough loss last weekend in Breezy Point, taking this one 6-3 over New Ulm Steel.
The Grizzlies (12-4-0-0) put themselves in a bit of a hole for most of the first period, falling behind 2-0. Michael Savelkoul scored off a nice feed from Corey Stormer at the 7:40 mark of the first. Jacob Halvorson then turned on the jets to blow past the Grizzlies’ defense and sliding the puck past goalie Nick Bucklin to make it 2-0 at 10:46.
Joey Fodstad buried a late power play goal, at the 19:49 mark of the first, to cut the lead to 2-1. Fodstad was able to bat the puck out of mid-air and past New Ulm goalie Henry Baribeau.
“[The goal] was definitely big. It was something to build on. We weren’t very good, they came out hot and were winning all of the battles. It was nice to only be down one after one and playing poorly,” head coach Casey Mignone said.
The second period proved to be different for Rochester. Kory Potach would score his fourth power play goal, and fourth goal of the season, tying the game at two. Peyton Hart would give the Grizzlies the lead at the 9:37 mark of the second after attempting to pass the puck to Colin Mehren, but it banked off goalie Baribeau and into the net.
“You’re never going to get all the bounces. Tonight, some of them went for us and it gave us that momentum swing…I haven’t had a bounce like that I think the whole season. That kind of boosted my confidence and the team’s,” Hart said.
Richard Szabo would give the Grizzlies a two-goal lead after a beautiful feed from Matt DeRosa, this coming at the 15:13 mark of the second.
Szabo would add his second of the game, a shorthanded goal, at 7:35 of the third period. DeRosa and Seth Bacon would get the assists on his goal. Jarrett Cammarata would give the Steel some late life in the third, scoring his eighth of the season with 3:46 left in the third, until DeRosa would add an empty net goal to seal the victory.
“The whole week of practice, getting back to work, getting back to the basics. We screwed up big time in Breezy Point so coach got us back on the right track…we’re good enough to play other teams. When we come to play, we are. Sometimes we don’t,” DeRosa said.
In front of a crowd of 1,549, the Grizzlies put on a show for Military Night both on and off the ice.
Rochester is on the road next weekend with a Saturday date against Granite City. The Grizzlies are back home November 24th against the very same Granite City Lumberjacks.