01.27.2026 River Hawks Rewind

Split Weekend Behind Special Teams and Resilience

Hawks Fans,

The Grand Junction River Hawks finished the weekend with a split, showing growth,

response, and strong special-teams execution as the season grind continues.

Friday Night vs. Idaho Falls Spud Kings (Home) 3-2 (L)

Friday night at River City SportPlex featured a back-and-forth battle between two

familiar rivals. The River Hawks opened the scoring midway through the first period

when #25 Tibor Nemeth found the back of the net with assists coming from #8 Isaiah

Yates and #26 Rasmus Ruusunen, giving Grand Junction a 1–0 lead and early

momentum.

Idaho Falls responded with a late goal in the 1st period in the second period and scoring

twice during a stretch that included back-to-back shifts where the River Hawks

momentarily lost their structure. Despite falling behind 3–1, Grand Junction responded with urgency late in the game. On the power play, #9 Harrison Browning buried a goal within the first five minutes of the 3rd period, assisted by #44 Gabriel Iervella and #77 Tai Kontrec, pulling the River Hawks within one.

The River Hawks pushed hard for the remainder of the 3rd period, generating sustained

pressure and quality chances, but couldn’t find the equalizer. Despite the 3–2 loss,

Grand Junction limited Idaho Falls to just 13 shots over the final 30 minutes and

remained competitive until the final horn.

Saturday Night @ Casper Warbirds 3-1 (W)

Saturday night in Casper saw a strong response from the River Hawks. Grand Junction

struck twice in the first period on the power play, setting the tone early. #25 Tibor

Nemeth opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the first period with an assist

from #90 Gergo Shwartz, followed shortly after by another man-advantage tally from #9

Harrison Browning, assisted by #3 Ryul Kwon and #77 Tai Kontrec, giving the River

Hawks a 2–0 lead.

Casper, coming off their first win in 23 games the night before, pushed hard and made the game physical, cutting the lead in the second period. Grand Junction stayed composed, defended well, and managed the game as the Warbirds pressed for the equalizer.

The River Hawks sealed the game early in the third period when #9 Harrison Browning scored his second goal of the night, assisted by #21 Reid Taylor and #28 Joey Ziska, securing a 3–1 victory and a complete road effort.

Weekend Takeaway

The weekend showcased the River Hawks’ ability to respond and execute in key moments. Special teams played a decisive role, with power-play goals from #9 Harrison Browning and #25 Tibor Nemeth, while composure and defensive structure allowed Grand Junction to close out a tough road win.

The challenge moving forward is turning strong stretches — like Friday’s late push —

into full 60-minute performances. The standard remains clear, and the River Hawks

continue to build toward it every night.