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Idaho Steelheads

Ontario Edges Idaho in Wild Finish, 3-2

January 16, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Boise, ID - Rocco Carzo netted a power-play goal in the opening seconds of the third period and the visiting Ontario Reign held on for dear life from there, surviving a late charge from the Idaho Steelheads to win, 3-2, in front of 4,645 fans at CenturyLink Arena in Boise.

The outcome of the game means Ontario and Idaho (23-11-4) are deadlocked atop the ECHL's Pacific Division with 50 points. The loss ended Idaho's season-best eight-game unbeaten streak as well. The same two teams meet again on Saturday night.

The Reign took advantage of a slow start from the Steelheads to take a two-goal lead. Tyler Scofield drove the net just 2:35 into the game for the first tally and Matt White deflected Matt Register's power-play point shot into the net at 13:30 to give Ontario a 2-0 lead. Off the ensuing face-off, Mike Dalhuisen dropped Mike DiPaolo with three straight rights to end a spirited fight and Idaho came to life, going on to put 17 shots on net in the opening frame, but Ontario's Jussi Olkinuora denied them all as the Reign took the two-goal lead into the intermission.

In the second, Olkinuora began to completely steal the show. The Reign goaltender robbed Wade MacLeod with the glove hand at the right-wing post and made two tremendous pad saves on a power play in the early minutes of the period. MacLeod then put a shot off the crossbar and the Steelheads rang another shot off the post and still trailed by two going into the third period.

Ontario opened the third with just over a minute of carry-over power play time and cashed in with a critical goal when Carzo re-directed a Brown point shot just inside the post less than 30 seconds into the third period to make it 3-0. But Idaho wasn't done. Olkinuora robbed Gaelan Patterson on a two-on-one rush and David deKastrozza pushed the rebound just wide. Dalhuisen hit another post for Idaho before Ludwig Karlsson split a pair of Ontario defenders with a nice move before putting yet another shot off the iron - this time, the crossbar - as Olkinuora and the Reign held that 3-0 lead with six minutes left while Idaho continued to attack the Reign net.

With just under six minutes left, Patterson appeared to score on a loose puck to break up the shutout, knocking home a loose puck from the edge of the crease, but referee Tyler Puddifant waved off the goal, ruling that deKastrozza made contact with Olkinuora before the shot. About a minute later, an Ontario shot sailed high over the Idaho net and banged off the glass before MacLeod played the puck up to a streaking Alex Belzile. Belzile buried a wrister from the left-wing circle past Olkinuora's glove at 15:22, finally solving the Ontario netminder, and cutting Ontario's lead to 3-1. The game got even tighter at 17:30 when Olivier Roy came out of his crease to play a puck up the ice to Jason Bast. Bast carried it into the right-wing circle before putting a shot into Olkinuora's pads. The rebound squeaked out far enough for Colton Beck, aggressively driving the net, to bang home the rebound at 17:30 to cut Ontario's lead to one. It was Beck's fifth goal of the season.

Idaho continued the intense pressure over the final two minutes, ultimately out-shooting Ontario, 19-3, in the third period with the outcome not decided until Jefferson Dahl's shot from the hashmarks was knocked down as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

Olkinuora frustrated the Steelheads all night with 43 saves on 45 shots as the Steelheads out-shot Ontario, 45-26. Roy, who picked up his first assist of the season on Beck's goal, took the loss with 23 saves for Idaho. The Reign's power play was a big factor in the game, converting on two of five opportunities in the one-goal win. Idaho was 0-6 on the power play.

Idaho's season-long six-game homestand concludes Saturday night with another matchup against Ontario. It is Idaho Beef Council Night and the team will also retire jersey no. 16 in honor of long-time forward Marty Flichel during the first intermission before another full-team, on-ice Project Filter autograph session after the game. Tickets are available online at www.idahosteelheads.com or by calling 208-331-8497.

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