West Valley City • An odd man rush developed for the Utah Grizzlies as Austin Ortega, Brad Navin, and Chris Leibinger blazed down the ice against the Idaho Steelheads. Leibinger threaded the needle to Ortega, who did what he has been doing a lot of lately: bury the puck into the back of the net. As it turned out, the Grizzlies were just warming up. Blistering the net four times before the game had reached its halfway point, Utah skated its way to an impressive 4-3 victory.
Destined for a short afternoon against Utah’s high octane offense, Idaho goalie Carmine Guerriero allowed all four goals on 15 shots before Philipe Desrosiers replaced the struggling netminder at the midway point of the second period.
New acquisitions Jake Marchment and Joel Rumpel are already paying dividends for the home team, as the Grizzlies have now won three straight contests as they push for the postseason.
Turning Point • As Utah exploded for three goals in the second period, team captain Ryan Walters provided the exclamation point on a slapshot during a power play that trickled past the red line, ending the night for Guerriero.
First Star • Goalie Rumpel used to baffle the Utah Grizzlies when he donned an Allen Americans uniform. Now a Grizzly, Rumpel was sensational between the pipes, brushing aside the first 20 shots fired his direction until Idaho’s Max French broke through. Stopping 46 of 49, Rumpel was the reason Utah gained a victory.
Second Star • Ortega has been on a tear in recent weeks. By garnering his 13th goal of the season, Ortega has assembled a season-high five-game scoring streak, leading the charge for Utah’s offense. In addition, Ortega provided two assists for a three-point afternoon.
Third Star • Although he didn’t score a goal, Navin was busy assisting his teammates throughout the afternoon, registering a season-high three assists.
Quoteworthy • “The puck was looking a little bigger today for sure,” Rumpel said. “The guys really helped out front and helped me see it. I remember playing against the Grizzlies quite a bit so I’m excited about the opportunity, and I always thought this would be a cool place to play.”
What’s next • Utah plays host to the Wichita Thunder at 7 p.m. Friday at the Maverik Center.