WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – The Colorado Eagles beat the Utah Grizzlies, 3-1, earning a split of the six points available in the team’s three-game series over the past four days. The line of Chad Costello (3 points), Jack Combs (3 points) and Michael Forney (2 points) paced the Eagles’ offense, while Kyle Jones was stellar in net, stopping 36 of 37 shots.
The teams played a scoreless first period that saw Jones stop 14 shots and Andrew Engelage stop nine. Despite the shot differential, it was the Eagles who owned the period’s only power plays, going 0-for-2 as their man-advantage unit continued to struggle against the league’s best penalty-killers.
Colorado out-shot Utah 16-11 in the second stanza and out-scored them 2-1 to take that lead into the second intermission. It was the Grizzlies, however, that got on the board first, converting on their first power play of the game at 1:47 when Ryan Turek one-timed a slap-shot from the high slot past Jones.
It took just 42 seconds for the Eagles to counter when Forney picked up his third goal of the weekend by deflecting a shot from the right wing as he crashed the crease. Then, at 8:55 of the second, Costello put Colorado on top by scoring from the right circle on an odd-man rush.
Costello picked up his second goal of the game just 70 seconds into the final frame, giving the Eagles some breathing room as the Grizzlies tried to claw back in the game. But Jones continued his strong play between the pipes and Utah couldn’t score again.
The Eagles now return home where they’ll take on the Bakersfield Condors on Friday & Saturday.