ROCHESTER, MN – The Rochester Grizzlies saw their losing streak reach new heights, dropping a shootout loss to the Mason City Toros 3-2 Friday evening from the Rochester Recreation Center. It is now the longest losing streak of the season for the Grizzlies.
Rochester’s captain Per Waage opened the scoring at 13:33 of the first, pouncing on a turnover and beating Connor Graham to the blocker side. Ryan Berglund picked up the assist on Waage’s fifth goal of the season. Less than a minute later, on a Mason City power play, Carter Newpower beat Chris Brown through a screen to tie the game at one. The goal came on a four-on-three power play, as Maxwell Barrington and Owen Van Tassel were serving matching minors and Luke Morrisette took a tripping penalty for the Grizzlies. Rochester responded less than a minute after the goal, as Dawson McLaughlin fired a point shot through a screen to beat Graham, making it 2-1. Van Tassel and Maksim Lakic assisted on the goal after some good board play. Mason City would collect its second power-play goal of the period as Jordan Newpower finished off a pass from Carter Newpower, one-timing the puck past Brown to tie the game.
Neither team would find the back of the net in the remaining frames. The Grizzlies would clamp it down defensively, holding the Toros to three shots in the second and four in the third. Rochester would not convert on three power-play chances in the final two periods, eventually finishing the evening 0/5 with the man advantage.
The Grizzlies outshot the Toros four to one in overtime, but could not solve Graham. Ty Petzke had some bad luck as he beat Graham but rang one off the crossbar. Cullen Hogan and Jordan Newpower scored in the shootout for the visitors en route to the win.
Rochester moves to 21-7-4 (47 points) on the season, still in first place in the Central Division. They are now just two points up on second-place Oregon. The Grizzlies are back home next weekend, completing a five-game homestand, as the St. Louis Jr. Blues are in town for the first time this season. Friday and Saturday’s games are both 7:05 PM puck drops.