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 Idaho Steelheads

Late Goal Pushes Eagles Past Steelheads

December 10, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Late Goal Pushes Eagles Past Steelheads
Late Goal Pushes Eagles Past Steelheads
(Idaho Steelheads, Credit: Standout Imagery )

Loveland, CO- Jackson Houck's goal late in the third period spoiled a 30-save effort by Branden Komm and powered the Colorado Eagles (13-6-4) to their second consecutive victory over the Idaho Steelheads (13-8-2), a 2-1 final at Budweiser Events Center. The win gives the Eagles a two-point lead over Idaho in the Mountain Division standings.

With 5:40 left the third period, a Steelheads turnover turned into the game-winning goal for Colorado. With the puck along the near boards in the Idaho zone, the Steelheads failed to clear the puck, instead seeing it bounce back below the goal line to Eagles' forward Darryl Bootland. Bootland slid a pass out to the slot where Houck corralled it and out-waited Komm before flipping a back-hander past the outstretched Steelheads goaltender for his third of the season and a 2-1 Eagles' lead.

Komm was strong throughout for the Steelheads, making several challenging saves. In the second period, he stopped linemates Houck, Conor O'Donnell, and Kenny Brooks in succession. In the first period, he robbed the league's second-leading scorer among defensemen when he snared a Matt Register rebound on the doorstep.

The Steelheads got the offense rolling in a first period in which they had 15 shots. Five of those shots came from Jefferson Dahl, playing his first game back from a two-game absence. Dahl would net his eighth goal of the season on a breakaway thanks to a stretch pass from Will Merchant at 14:23. Dahl got behind the defense and cruised in on Clarke Saunders, deking before lifting a short-side wrister over Saunders' glove. That was the only goal Saunders would surrender, stopping 33 shots on the night for his fourth straight win.

The Eagles tied the score 25 seconds into the second period. Casey Pierro-Zabotel redirected a Jake Marto shot from the right circle, his tenth of the season. Pierro-Zabotel has five points in four games this season against the Steelheads.

There were several altercations during the game, including a fight between David Glen and Bootland in the first period and several stare downs after each frame. Things came to a final boiling point following the final buzzer with Zach Bell and Sean Zimmerman tangling up and most of the Colorado team surrounding the Steelheads bench before officials separated players and sent the teams to their locker rooms.

The teams combined for 42 penalty minutes after the end of the game and 90 minutes in penalties for the evening.

The Steelheads have lost consecutive games in regulation for just the second time this season, dropping their record to 5-2-0 following regulation losses. The Eagles' current three-game win streak is their longest since they won their first three games of the season.

The Steelheads and Eagles close out their series on Saturday night, with the Steelheads looking to avoid the sweep. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7:05pm MT, with the game available on 1350AM KTIK and ECHLTV.

STEELHEADS STATS: Goals: Dahl (8) Branden Komm: 30 saves on 32 shots Power Play: 0-for-4 Penalty Kill: 4-for-4

CENTURYLINK THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Jackson Houck COL

2. Casey Pierro-Zabotel COL

3. Clarke Saunders COL

COORS LIGHT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME Jefferson Dahl: Goal, 5 shots

PLAY OF THE GAME: In a goaltending duel like this one, a bad bounce or decision can decide the game. Branden Komm and Clarke Saunders each made big saves to carry a 1-1 game deep into the final period, but Branden Komm could do nothing on Jackson Houck's winner. The Steelheads had time to clear the zone on a puck wrapped around the wall in the Idaho zone. The Steelheads had space, but a mishandled puck ended up deep again, with Steelheads still stuck on that wall. Houck got free and Bootland found him in the slot with plenty of time to find an opening and his third goal of the season.





Images from this story

Late Goal Pushes Eagles Past Steelheads
Late Goal Pushes Eagles Past Steelheads

(Standout Imagery )
  

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