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Hockey returned to the Maverik Center for the first time this season to the delight of 5,335 fans.

Unfortunately for the Utah Grizzlies, they lost their home opener to the defending Kelley Cup Champion Allen Americans 4-2. It was Utah's first loss of the season.

The Americans were the aggressors in the first period and took the lead at the 14:09 mark with a power-play goal by Gary Steffes, who beat Grizzles goaltender Bryan Hogan. Utah responded less than a minute later, when Barry Almeida scored his ECHL-leading sixth goal.

"I'm just trying to play the game the right way and put the puck in the back of the net," Almeida said

The second period was more methodical, as both teams settled into a leisurely rhythm and combined to take just 11 shots. Unfortunately for Utah, one of those shots by American forward Jonathan Parker beat Hogan to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

The Grizzlies were hamstrung by penalties most of the game, having committed eight penalties to Allen's four.

The Grizzlies found themselves in an unfamiliar position of trailing entering the third period, and they responded with a blistering pace to the period by registering the first three shots. But the Americans didn't buckle and their first shot on net resulted in Hogan's best save of the night — a breakaway stop of Allen's Dyson Stevenson.

The Grizzlies' aggressiveness left them vulnerable, though, and Allen took advantage by increasing its lead to 3-1 with less than seven minutes remaining after a goal from Daniel Doremus.

The game appeared out of reach until Alex Krushelynski scored a power-play goal late in the period But with the Grizzlies trailing 3-2 with just 90 seconds remaining, coach Tim Branham had no choice but to pull his goaltender. The extra skater didn't pan out as Allen's Greger Hanson scored on an empty net.

"Our discipline wasn't very good and our execution was poor," Branham said. "We didn't play our best game and yet we were right in it."

The Grizzlies will look to find their game Saturday night and even the series with the Americans. The puck drops at 7 p.m. —

ECHL standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE

East Division

G W L OL SL Pts GF GA

Adirondack 2 2 0 0 0 4 9 5

Reading 3 2 1 0 0 4 12 3

Manchester 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 1

Elmira 3 1 2 0 0 2 6 11

Norfolk 4 1 3 0 0 2 8 17

North Division

G W L OL SL Pts GF GA

Toledo 3 1 1 0 1 3 8 10

Wheeling 2 1 1 0 0 2 5 4

Brampton 3 0 2 1 0 1 7 11

Kalamazoo 3 0 3 0 0 0 6 13

South Division

G W L OL SL Pts GF GA

Florida 4 3 1 0 0 6 18 9

Orlando 2 2 0 0 0 4 12 6

Atlanta 3 1 1 1 0 3 8 12

Greenville 2 1 1 0 0 2 8 9

South Carolina 3 1 2 0 0 2 5 12

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division

G W L OL SL Pts GF GA

Missouri 4 3 1 0 0 6 10 4

Allen 5 3 2 0 0 6 13 10

Wichita 3 2 1 0 0 4 8 9

Tulsa 4 2 2 0 0 4 8 8

Midwest Division

G W L OL SL Pts GF GA

Fort Wayne 3 3 0 0 0 6 11 4

Indy 3 2 1 0 0 4 6 6

Quad City 3 1 1 0 1 3 6 7

Cincinnati 1 1 0 0 0 2 5 1

Evansville 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 3

West Division

G W L OL SL Pts GF GA

Idaho 3 2 0 1 0 5 13 9

Rapid City 3 2 1 0 0 4 9 11

Utah 3 2 1 0 0 4 11 9

Alaska 4 1 2 0 1 3 7 11

Colorado 4 0 3 1 0 1 8 15

NOTE: Two points are awarded for a win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss.

Friday's Games

Greenville 5, South Carolina 3

Reading 5, Elmira 1

Adirondack 5, Brampton 4, OT

Toledo 5, Kalamazoo 2

Atlanta 4, Florida 2

Fort Wayne 3, Indy 0

Tulsa 1, Quad City 0

Missouri 3, Wichita 0

Allen 4, Utah 2

Rapid City 3, Colorado 2

Idaho at Alaska, late

Saturday's Games

Manchester at Adirondack, 5 p.m.

Elmira at Reading, 5 p.m.

Norfolk at Orlando, 5 p.m.

Florida at Atlanta, 5:05 p.m.

Greenville at South Carolina, 5:05 p.m.

Indy at Fort Wayne, 5:30 p.m.

Brampton at Wheeling, 5:35 p.m.

Kalamazoo at Cincinnati, 5:35 p.m.

Wichita at Missouri, 6:05 p.m.

Tulsa at Quad City, 6:05 p.m.

Toledo at Evansville, 6:15 p.m.

Rapid City at Colorado, 7:05 p.m.

Allen at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

Idaho at Alaska, 9:15 p.m.