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Press releaseWest Valley City -- The Utah Grizzlies scored two third period goals to battle back from a 1-0 deficit and defeat the Alaska Aces 2-1 Wednesday night at the E-Center. The win was the Grizzlies sixth-straight as they improved to 12-4 on the year.
Reigning ECHL Goaltender of the Week Mitch O'Keefe stopped 23 of 24 shots for his eighth-straight win.
Utah outshot Alaska 20-5 in the second period and went 0-5 on the power-play, but didn't have their work payoff until the third period. Following the fifth-straight Utah power-play of the second period, the Aces Thomas Kana emerged from the penalty-box and went straight towards the net where Derrick Martin fed him for a breakaway. O'Keefe made a miraculous save on the Kana shot, but Colin Hemingway knocked home the rebound at 17:41 of the period to give Alaska a 1-0 lead.
The Alaska lead lasted just 4:02 before Utah regrouped in the third period. Chris Brooks threw a shot through traffic and finally past Scott Reid, who stopped 26-straight shots through two periods, to tie the game at one at 1:53 of the third period. Utah took a 2-1 lead 6:49 into the third period as AJ Perry fed Tom May in the slot for his fourth goal of the year and the third goal in four games.
Utah killed a late Alaska power-play in the final minute to finish the game 6-6 on the penalty-kill.
Dylan Hunter added two assists for Utah for his seventh multiple-point game of the year.
The Grizzlies and Aces meet again Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the E-Center.
(Courtesy of the Utah Grizzlies)
