ROCHESTER, Minn. – It was certainly a goal-fest from the Rochester Recreation Center Friday evening. The Rochester Grizzlies had to battle back, scoring six goals in the second period as they went on to beat the Oregon Tradesmen 8-5 to start off the weekend.
Joey Fodstad started the scoring off for the Grizzlies on a partial breakaway at the 4:51 mark of the first period. Fodstad’s 12th of the season was assisted by Joey Malugani and Tyler Huffer. Oregon came back to score two goals in the first period, as Carter Stobb tied it at 7:33 of the first and former Grizzly Devin Hays made it 2-1 with 32 seconds left in the first period.
The Grizzlies would storm back in the second and it started off with Logan Kroyman scoring his third of the season, beating Tradesmen goalie Cole Garver with a long range shot from just inside the offensive zone. Just less than a minute later, Blake Arneson continued his hot start for the Grizzlies as he finished off a perfect feed from Dylan Schneider. Arneson’s goal made it 3-2 Grizzlies and was his third goal in four games since joining the team. The Tradesmen would not go away as Stobb tallied his second of the game less than two minutes after Areneson’s goal to cut the Rochester lead to one. In a seesaw contest, Hunter Wilmes finished off a great feed from Garrett Smith and scored a highlight-reel goal to make it 4-3 Rochester.
Cody Reagle would get in on the action, banging home a rebound and extending the Rochester lead to 5-3 with his third of the season at 11:12 of the second. Stobb would continue his impressive night, scoring his third of the evening less than a minute after Reagle’s goal. It would be back-and-forth for the rest of the period, as Smith gave Rochester a two-goal lead again at 16:22 with his eighth of the year. Stobb would then score his fourth at 17:16, cutting the deficit yet again. Stobb had four goals on the season coming into Friday’s game. Teppei Ueno banked a bad angle shot off Garver and in the net, extending the Rochester lead to 7-5 with two minutes to go in the second.
The third period would not have the goals the second period did, but the Grizzlies did get a much needed insurance marker. Cole Gibson’s sixth of the season gave Rochester a big 8-5 lead at the 11:14 mark and the defense would carry it the rest of the way for the Grizzlies. Rochester held Oregon to just six shots in the entire third period.
Despite giving up five goals, Zach Wiese earned the win in net tonight. Thirteen of the 19 players dressed for Rochester would register a point, with five of them having multi-point efforts. The win keeps Rochester five points up over Peoria for first place in the NA3HL Central Division, sitting at 26-5-0-1 (53 points).
The two teams are back at it Saturday night from the Rochester Rec Center at 7:05. This is the final meeting from Rochester during the regular season between the two teams, as they wrap up the season series next weekend with two road games for the Grizzlies.