Outliers Stay Alive in 5-4 Game Three Home Win

PARK CITY, U.T. - Revival buoyed by consistent pressure helped the Utah Outliers hockey club to a 5-4 victory in Game Three of the Mountain Division Final at the Black Rock Event Center against the Grand Junction River Hawks on Monday night. Cutting the deficit in the series to 2-1 River Hawks, the Outliers kept their playoff run alive with the win.

Grand Junction and Utah traded blows in the first period with the River Hawks striking first. Before the visitors grabbed their second tally, Outliers forward Luke Goldberg evened the score at 1-1. The period wrapped up with a 2-1 G.J.J. lead.

The situation became more dire when the River Hawks added a third strike within the first minute of the second frame.

Team captain Jesse Ivanovic explained that the setback never discouraged his group. He said, “I think our team this entire year has battled a lot of adversity, so I think when we were down 3-1, nobody batted an eye. We had belief in ourselves and belief in one another, so I thought that was huge. Knowing the group we’ve got here, we knew we could get it done.”

About four minutes later, forward Tyler Kedzo closed the gap, hammering in the first goal in a rally. Goldberg broke through for the tying marker about two and a half minutes later. Rookie Anton Sollin zipped the go-ahead score through with about five minutes left in the period.

Eight and a half minutes into the third, second-year forward Tyler Gudjonson iced the contest with a tally, elevating the lead to 5-3 Outliers. Despite another River Hawks score, the advantage held.

The Black Rock Event Center hosts Game Four at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday. A potential win-or-go-home Game Five is marked for 7:30 p.m. on Friday back in Grand Junction.

Tickets are available at utahoutliers.com/tickets.