There was more fighting than scoring in the first period of the Olds Grizzlys' last game of 2013 at the Olds Sports Complex on Dec. 21.
The Grizzlys and their opponents, the Sherwood Park Crusaders, racked up 30 minutes of penalties between them in the first 20 minutes of the game.
But only the Crusaders put goals on the scoreboard and ended the frame with a 2-0 lead.
The efforts of Jake Tamagi, who gave Olds' Ethan Jemieff the night off in net, couldn't make up for the Grizzlys' weak offensive effort and even after the brawling petered out in the second period, Sherwood Park was able to score another pair of goals to go up 4-0.
Grizzlys captain Spencer Dorowicz, who is currently the AJHL's leading scorer with 26 goals, was the lone Olds player who found the back of the net in the third period.
After an empty-net goal with only 54 seconds left in the game, the Crusaders walked away with a 5-1 victory.
Prior to the start of the game, a moment of silence was observed for former Grizzlys player Taylor Elliott, who was found dead near his Pincher Creek home on Dec. 17 following a two-week search.
Elliott, 22, had played for the Grizzlys from 2008 to 2011 and was reported missing after leaving his home early on Dec. 1.
Grizzlys players wore a special decal on their helmets with Elliott's initials and number inside a grizzly paw.
Elliott was the team's rookie of the year in 2010, when he tallied 11 goals and 13 assists, and played 103 games over his three-year stretch with the club before being traded to the Brooks Bandits in 2011.
One positive note for the Grizzlys at year-end was a 3-2 overtime victory for the squad against the Bandits, who lead the AJHL's south division and had beaten Olds 6-2 and Dec. 17, on Dec. 20.
Ty Mappin scored the extra-frame game winner for the Grizzlys and the team's other goals came from Chris Gerrie and Landon Kletke.
This was the Grizzlys' first win over the Bandits this season.
Olds wrapped up the year in seventh place in the south division with a record of 16 wins, 18 losses and six overtime losses.
They next take to the ice on Jan. 4 at home against Drumheller.
