Faust Ties Record in Steelheads Win
March 4, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
STEELHEADS: Faust Ties Record in Steelheads Win
(Idaho Steelheads)
Rapid City, SD- Anthony Luciani's right-wing blast over the blocker of goaltender Adam Morrison was the eventual game-winner and Joe Faust tied a Steelheads record, as the Idaho Steelheads (32-18-7) scored three unanswered goals in the third period to defeat the Rapid City Rush (21-28-8), 3-1 on Friday night at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The win was Idaho's third in arrow, sixth in the first seven games of their season-long eight-game road trip, and eighth in their last ten overall.
With 11:33 left in the third period of a 1-1 game, Bryce Van Brabant stripped Ryan Misiak of the puck at the Idaho blue line and sent Luciani the other way on a 3-on-3 rush. At the right circle, Luciani wired a slap shot past Morrison's blocker and into the top-left corner for his 25th goal of the season and a 2-1 Idaho lead.
Luciani has seven goals and 11 points in the Steelheads' last 12 games. Joe Basaraba would put the game away with an empty-net goal for his 18th of the year with one second remaining.
The Steelheads were trailing 1-0 to start the third period, but took advantage on the power play after Rush captain Ryan Walters was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after the end of the second period. Faust unloaded a drive from the high-slot at 1:14 that beat Morrison through traffic for Faust's 13th goal of the season and a 1-1 score. Faust tied the Steelheads' single-season ECHL record for goals by a defenseman, matching Jarad Bourassa's 13 scored during the 2005-06 season.
The Rush opened the scoring at 11:19 of the first period when Ryan Misiak redirected a point shot from former Steelhead Riley Weselowski for his 14th of the year.
Both goaltenders were nearly unbeatable for the first 40 minutes, with Landon Bow making one of his best saves on a short-handed breakaway against Hunter Fejes in the second period. Bow would stop 29 of 30 shots to earn his 15th win of the season. Adam Morrison made several big stops in the second period as well, stopping both Jefferson Dahl and Rob Linsmayer on rebounds on the door-step to protect a one-goal lead.
The Rush pulled Morrison for the game's final two minutes and had one last chance, when Tyler Bishop got a clear look from the high slot only to be denied by Bow.
With the win, the Steelheads are now 11-12-4 in games in which they surrender the first goal.
The Steelheads and Rush finish their series on Saturday night with Idaho's final game of the season at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, with puck-drop scheduled for 7:05pm MT and the game available on 1350AM KTIK and on ECHLTV.
STEELHEADS STATS: Goals: Faust (13); Luciani (25); Basaraba (18) Landon Bow: 29 saves on 30 shots Power Play: 1-for-3 Penalty Kill: 1-for-1
CENTURYLINK THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Anthony Luciani IDH
2. Rob Linsmayer IDH
3. Landon Bow IDH
COORS LIGHT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME Anthony Luciani: Game-winning goal, 3 shots
PLAY OF THE GAME: On a night when Adam Morrison looked nearly unbeatable, Anthony Luciani was able to beat the Rapid City goaltender one-on-one with a bullet from the right-wing circle. On a 3-on-3 rush, Luciani wound up and let go a rocket from the angle that beat Morrison clean, a perfect shot over Morrison's shoulder that gave the Steelheads the lead for good.
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 STEELHEADS: Faust Ties Record in Steelheads Win |
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