ROCHESTER, Mich. - Green Bay fell in a close game to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies Thursday afternoon, 1-0. Oakland scored not long after halftime and held on despite having just 10 men on the field for the final 26 minutes of the game due to a red card.
Green Bay dropped to 10-6-1 overall and 4-3-1 in Horizon play, while Oakland improved to 7-6-2 overall and 5-1-2 in HL action.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game started fairly even for both teams. Each squad had several chances, first on So Nishikawa's shot on goal in the 6th minute. The Golden Grizzlies had a great opportunity in the 26th minute, as Luke Benford got around Nishikawa before Jack Klomparens tapped a shot near GB keeper Alvaro Rodriguez. The ball deflected off Rodriguez, but he was able to jump back on it to preserve the 0-0 tie. Oakland ripped off four more shots in the final 12 minutes of the opening frame, but it was a scoreless match heading into the break.
The Golden Grizzlies were able to find the back of the net less than two minutes after intermission. Carson Ballagh found Jayden Pinheiro, who buried it to give Oakland a 1-0 lead. There was a pivotal moment in the game later on, as Oakland's Harry Phantis was given a red card after a hard tackle on Chris Album just outside the box. The Golden Grizzlies had just 10 men on the field for the final 26:47, and Green Bay attempted to take advantage. Kolton Prater had a shot followed up by Album, but both were wide of the woodwork. The best opportunity GB had was in the 87th minute when Oscar Bjornskov tried to go to the dead center of the goal, but Alex Flowers made the save for the Golden Grizzlies, and Oakland hung on to defeat the Green and White 1-0.
GAME NOTES
- Each team also received one yellow card.
- Green Bay had a 13-12 edge in shots but was outdone 5-3 on goal.
- The Phoenix had six corner kicks compared to Oakland's three.
- Album led the Phoenix with four shots, while Klopmarens paced all players with five.
COMING UP
The regular season finale is on tap for Green Bay and it features a battle for the Chancellor's Cup against in-state rival Milwaukee. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 PM from Aldo Santaga Stadium. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+.
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