JACKSON, Wyo. — The Jackson Hole Moose split a pair with the Yellow Jackets of Boulder over the weekend. Both games featured plenty of shots and some outstanding goaltending.
The Moose continue to dig themselves a hole starting games. On Friday, Jackson surrendered a quick 3 goals before the 1st period was even half over. Despite getting 2 of them back before the 1st intermission, the deficit proved too much, especially when the Jackets came out to start the 3rd energized by the fact they were still in it.
Banging the boards, hooting over every deke, hit, or save—Boulder fed off their own emotion and finally found the eventual game-winner off the stick of Ari Lerman with 10 minutes left. From there on, it was the Grant Payne show. The U. of Denver goaltender for the Yellow Jackets was stone-cold impenetrable for the rest of the contest despite being peppered with shots from desperate Jackson players.
But it was Boulder’s speed that made the difference Friday. The Yellow Jackets skated hard and pressed the Moose. The threat of their speedy forwards headed the other way kept Jackson from being able to engage its defensemen into the offensive game plan.; they were too busy back skating all night.
The 5-4 loss didn’t sit well with the Moose. They came out flying Saturday and took a 3-0 lead to the dressing room after the 1st. When the Jackets climbed back into it after a goal early in the 3rd period cut the Moose lead to one, it was Tom Hartnett who crushed their hopes with his hattrick goal.
Hartnett finished the game with a 4-point night (3G, 1A). Linemate AJ Sanders kicked in 3 assists. Dakota Richardson added 2 goals and an assist. The Moose finished off the Yellow Jackets with an empty-netter for a 6-3 victory.
But it was Nick Krauss who shined in net to make sure Boulder never got close enough. The veteran goaltender made some big stops all weekend.
The JH Moose are now 8-2 on the season heading into the holiday break. They’ll be back on ice January 3-4 against the Bozeman Stingers.
