Alaska Edges Idaho in See-Saw Affair
January 20, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
Boise, ID - Nick Mazzolini's power play goal with less than five minutes to play gave the Alaska Aces the lead and a bad goal-mouth hop inside the final minute allowed the Aces to hold on to beat the Idaho Steelheads, 4-3, in an entertaining, back-and-forth affair Saturday night.
The game was played in front of 5,190 fans at Boise's CenturyLink Arena, Idaho's second consecutive sellout crowd and third in its last five home games.
Idaho (24-10-5) would draw first blood less than three minutes in when Austin Fyten found Matt Case up the left-hand wall at 2:49. Case stepped into a shot from just inside the blue line that beat Alaska goaltender Mark Guggenberger, his fourth of the season, to give the Steelheads a 1-0 lead.
Alaska would respond with two goals, one from Mike Baran on the power play and one from Alex Hudson at even strength, to take a 2-1 lead with less than four minutes to go in the first, but Idaho would tie the game on Brett Robinson's power-play strike at 18:30 as he converted a shot from the right circle off a feed from Sam Carrick. With the assist, Carrick now has ten points in his past nine games for Idaho.
The visitors would re-take the lead midway through the second period on a Zach Harrison goal. He and Samson Mahbod worked a two-on-one rush, with Mahbod feeding Harrison alone at the far post at 9:47 to put Alaska up, 3-2.
Once again, the Steelheads would respond. Fyten rushed a puck up the left wing and launched a shot at Guggenberger. The Alaska goaltender made the initial save but the rebound bounded right onto the tape of Tristan King, who snapped home his 14th of the season at 11:21 of the second as he was shoved into the end boards to even the score at three. That score would hold deep into the third period with each goaltender making timely saves, including a brilliant left-legpad save from Robinson midway through the third to keep the game tied.
But, with less than five minutes to play, Alaska struck on the power play again. This time, it was Nick Mazzolini getting free between the circle near the hashmarks, going top shelf to beat Robinson cleanly at 15:08 of the third for his 23rd goal of the season to make it 4-3 Alaska. Idaho got a late power play of its own and appeared primed to tie the game when a long shot bounced off the end boards behind the Aces net and bounced right to David deKastrozza, who was all alone at the right post. But the puck rattled off the boards and bounced over his stick, thwarting Idaho's best hope of a final flurry.
Guggenberger got the win, saving 30 of 33 shots. Robinson took the loss for Idaho, making 30 saves on 34 shots. The Steelheads converted one of four power-play opportunities on the evening.
Idaho plays at Utah on Monday, a 1:35 PM game at the Maverik Center to kick off a six-game road trip that puts the Steelheads in Utah, South Carolina, Georgia, and California over the next two weeks.
Idaho's next home game is February 6 against the Utah Grizzlies. Tickets are available by calling the CenturyLink Arena box office at 208.331.8497 or by going online at www.idahosteelheads.com.
• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...
ECHL Stories from January 20, 2013
- Bulls Take Weekend Rubber Match against Stockton, 5-2 - San Francisco Bulls
- Thunder heads into All-Star break in second place - Stockton Thunder
- Gladiators Weekly Update - Atlanta Gladiators
- Titans Go Mobile and Global; Partner with Stonehenge Telecom - Trenton Titans
- Titans Duel Cinncy for a Point; Fall in Shootout, 4-3 - Trenton Titans
- Cyclones Close out Weekend in Trenton with 4-3 Shootout Win - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Stingrays Power Past Everblades 4-2 - South Carolina Stingrays
- Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. San Francisco Bulls - Stockton Thunder
- Bulls and Thunder Meet in Weekend Rubber Match in Stockton - San Francisco Bulls
- ECHL Transactions - January 20 - ECHL
- IceMen Weekly Notes - Evansville IceMen
- Evansville IceMen Weekly - Evansville IceMen
- Former Cyclone Cory Conacher Makes NHL Debut with Tampa Bay - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Titans GameDay vs. Cincinnati, January 20 - Game 40-Home 21 - Trenton Titans
- Conacher Becomes 491st ECHL Player to Reach NHL - ECHL
- Cyclones Game Preview - Cincinnati at Trenton - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Stingrays Game Preview: Mascot Mania Today vs. Everblades - South Carolina Stingrays
- ECHL Today - January 20 - ECHL
- Bulls Overcome Adversity, Upend Stockton, 4-2 - San Francisco Bulls
- Eagles Edge Wranglers 4-2 - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Thunder get goals from Reed and Little, Nelson salvages win with 32 stops - Stockton Thunder
- Condors Roll in Utah, 5-2 - Bakersfield Condors
- Eagles Double-Up Wranglers, 4-2, Prior to All-Star Week - Colorado Eagles
- Aces Top Steelheads 4-3 in Thriller - Alaska Aces
- Alaska Edges Idaho in See-Saw Affair - Idaho Steelheads
- Bakersfield Forces Split in Utah Before 7,139 Fans - Utah Grizzlies
- Road Warriors Fall in Tight Game against Gladiators - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Idaho Steelheads Stories
- Steelheads Continue Asserting Their Will in Utah with 6-2 Win Over Grizzlies
- Idaho Steelheads Weekly - Week 23
- Steelheads Drain The Oil Out Of Tulsa In 10-1 Victory
- Oilers Bounce Steelheads 4-1 Friday Night
- Bryan Thomson Loaned Back to Steelheads from Texas Stars