Utah M2 secures exciting win over Montana

November 24, 2024
Salt Lake City, Utah

The Utah Hockey Men’s Division 2 team faced off against the University of Montana Grizzlies on Sunday, Nov. 24, playing their last game of the 2024 Beehive Showcase. After successfully beating two of the three teams they faced previously, the Utes came ready to play with an incredible comeback, taking home a 3-1 victory against the Grizzlies.

First Period
University of Montana started off by taking possession, charging towards the Utes defensive zone and taking shots on goal early. The Grizzlies kept the pressure on, but it didn’t phase Utah as they started to reciprocate Montana’s energy. Utah fired off a few shots, none able to slip past the Grizzlies defense. After a few minutes of Grizzly occupation in Utah’s zone, freshman forward Maximilian Fenne went on a breakaway, landing the puck in the back of the net. This put Utah at a 1-0 lead after only five minutes into the first period.

After that, the Grizzlies and the Utes went back and forth; both had goal-scoring opportunities, but failed to execute. Halfway through the first, an interference penalty on rookie Benjamin Hostetler for the Utes gave the Grizzlies some momentum, and Utah battled to keep the chaos at bay while down a man.

Although there were a few close calls, Utah successfully stopped any power play kills for Montana, maintaining their lead in the game. The remaining minutes in the period became an intense battle on the ice, and Utah fought to keep the pressure on their opponent. Despite several powerful shots, no goals were scored for either team, marking the end of a fervent first period with the Utes up by one.

Second Period
The intensity from the Grizzlies lulled going into the second period, giving Utah several opportunities for breakaway rushes. As the period went on, the pace picked up, and soon the Utes and the Grizzlies were locked in the same full blown battle seen in the first period.

The teams traded blows back and forth, and a two-minute penalty on Donovan O’Shea took the Utes from being on the charge to back on their heels. However, the tables turned just a few minutes later with a slashing penalty on the Grizzlies.

Utah took over the game, controlling the puck and rarely leaving their offensive zone. But out of the blue, the Grizzlies got a second wind, chipping away at the Utah defense. With six minutes left in the period, the Grizzlies got through with a goal, tying up the game 1-1. Utah attempted to take back the lead with a few rushes towards the Grizzlies goal, but couldn’t find the net in the final minutes of the period, leaving the teams even.

Third Period
Going into the third, the Utes and the Grizzlies were evenly matched, trading shots back and forth. Neither team could get the upper hand on the other, and for every attack the Utes made, one was returned right back by Montana. Throughout this fight, Marcello De Antunano was a wall in front of the goal, protecting the net from any and all of Montana’s attempts to score.

About halfway through the period, Utah found their footing with a penalty on Montana, using the power play to push into their offensive zone. Several shots were fired off by the Utah offense, but none were successful. A penalty by Benjamin Laduke put Utah in the Grizzlies shoes, now fighting with a man down. The Utes staved off the Grizzlies power play, coming at them hard when they were back to full strength.

The latter half of the third period was a must-see performance by the Utes. In a breakaway run by a Grizzly offenseman, as they were about to score and take the lead, De Antunano had other plans. After deflecting back-to-back shots from Montana’s offense, another quick head-on shot came at De Antunano as he was slightly out of position. In a Hail Mary save attempt, De Antunano threw his leg into the air up at the shot, causing the puck to miraculously deflect off his skate and away from the goal. The crowd roared at the incredible save, and the energy became ecstatic for Utah.

With a newfound momentum provided by De Antunano’s save and another penalty on Montana, Utah charged at the Grizzlies goal. In a chaotic clustered battle in front of the net, Keegan Torrey forced it past a sea of players into the goal on the power play, putting the score at 2-1 in the final three minutes of the game.

At this point, the Utes had full control of the match. The Grizzlies tried to comeback by subbing out their goal for a sixth attacker on the ice, but rookie Daniel Madison saw his opportunity to score. Taking a shot from the neutral zone, Madison put the puck in the goal with 30 seconds to go, crushing any hope for the Grizzlies. The Utes took possession of the puck until the horn blew, making the final score 3-1, and marking a third win for Utah in the 2024 Beehive Showcase.

Looking Ahead
The Skatin’ Utes have a bye this weekend, but will be back at the Salt Lake County Sports Complex Dec. 7 to face off against nearby opponent Utah State University. You can tune in to the game on the Utah Hockey Youtube channel, where the game will be streamed live.

Tickets for all games can be found here.