Komets claim 6-4 game one win over Grizzlies

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Fort Wayne Komets scored early and often then held off a second period surge from the Utah Grizzlies to post a 6-4 win in front of 5,071 fans at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Friday night. The win gives Fort Wayne an early 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven ECHL Western Conference Semifinal series.

Fort Wayne found the net three times in the opening 3:23, chasing Utah goaltender Ryan Faragher after he faces just six shots.

Cody Sol got things rolling for the Komets, scoring 32-seconds in for an early 1-0 lead. Following a draw in the right circle, the puck came back to Sol, who sent a lazy shot from the blue line that worked through traffic, past Faragher and into the net. Trevor Cheek and Troy Bourke assisted on the goal.

Two minutes later Mike Embach scored after taking a pass from Alex Belzile during a two-on-one break and lifting the puck past Faragher to make it 2-0. Bourke added his fifth playoff goal less than a minute later on a rebound to make it a three goal lead and force Grizzlies Head Coach Tim Branham to replace Faragher with Mark Owuya.

Ryan Hayes put the Grizzlies on the board just over five minutes later to cut the deficit to two goals. Receiving a pass from Barry Almeida behind the net, Hayes was uncontested as he walked around to the slot and fired a shot high past Pat Nagle to make it 3-1. T,J. Syner picked up the secondary assist on the play.

Shawn Szydlowski closed out the opening period with his fourth goal of the playoffs, making it 4-1 on a snap shot from the left circle at 18:47. Assists were given to Will Weber and Jamie Schaafsma.

Utah battled back in the middle frame, adding two power play goals and an even strength goal to tie the game 4-4 at 9:24.

While on the man advantage, Syner grabbed the puck at the bottom of the right circle and skated in on net, faked a shot then deked around Nagle and buried the puck to pull back within two.

Matt Berry added his fourth postseason goal nearly six minutes later, firing home a shot from the right circle past Nagle’s glove to cut the lead to one. Almeida tied the game a minute and a half later on the power play, with assists going to Mike Ratchuk and Hayes. With the puck in the slot, Ratchuk sent a pass to Almeida at the right side of the net, and Aleida simply tucked it around the post to pull the Grizzlies even with the Komets.

The tie would not last long though, as Fort Wayne would answer with a power play goal of their own six minutes later.

Jordon Southorn sent a pass the length of the ice to Kyle Thomas, who worked in towards the net from the left side and backhanded a shot past the glove of Owuya to make it 5-4. Nagle picked up the secondary assist on what would become the game winning goal.

Cheek went on to add a shorthanded goal at 16:27 of the third to ice the game. Streaking ahead on a breakaway, Cheek tucked the puck under Owuya as the two crashed to the ice and the net came off its moorings. After discussion, the officials ruled that the puck had crossed the line before the net came off and they awarded Cheek his second goal of the playoffs.

Game two of the series is set for a 7:30pm EDT face-off tonight in Fort Wayne.

Contact the writer: John.Hall@prohockeynews.com