Ice Hockey: Grizzlies salvage tie against Tri Valley

The South Tahoe PeeWee Grizzlies ice hockey team recently split two games.

The Grizzlies, a team featuring 11- and 12-year-olds from Tahoe, Carson, Minden and Gardnerville, opened the weekend series with a loss to the Santa Clara Blackhawks.

South Tahoe gave up some early goals, but after a time out the Grizzlies gave up only two goals for the last two and half periods. The lone score for the Grizzlies came from DJ Freeman of Carson City.

In the second game, the Grizzlies tied the Tri Valley Blue Devils 4-4.

In the first period Matt Premo of Carson City scored the only goal of the period. The Grizzlies kept the lead until four minutes remained in the second when the Blue Devils broke into the scoring column with two goals.

Tyler Dill of South Lake Tahoe scored a goal with an assist from Freeman for the Grizzlies to tie the game at the end of the period. Tri Valley scored the next two goals to lead 4-2 but Freeman scored a goal with 90 seconds left on the clock to close within one.

With 27 seconds left, Freeman shot the puck and hit the goalie on the mask. It bounced to TJ Olsen of Carson City, who put the puck into the goal before time ran out in the game for the final score 4-4.

The Grizzlies got solid play during the series from Freeman, Olsen and Premo, and Dill, Luke Weinberg, Kyle Swain and Shane Whitt of South Lake Tahoe.

Whitt did a great job in goal for the Grizzlies.