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ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Gill, Americans Shutout Steelheads

December 22, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Gill, Americans Shutout Steelheads
Gill, Americans Shutout Steelheads
(Idaho Steelheads, Credit: Dianne Webster)

Allen, TX - Chad Costello scored twice and Riley Gill made 33 saves to earn his league-leading fourth shutout of the season, as the Allen Americans (17-13-1) downed the Idaho Steelheads (15-10-3) on Thursday night at Allen Event Center. The Americans moved two points ahead of the Steelheads in the Mountain Division standings, with Idaho sitting fourth.

Costello pushed his points streak to 11 games, during which he has scored 11 goals. He has points in 20 of his last 21 contests, earning 15 goals and 35 points in that span. On Thursday, he reached a milestone.

With the Americans already ahead 3-0 late in the second period, Costello found himself alone in front of the Idaho net. Greger Hanson fought off two Steelheads checks and fed the puck in front for Costello to flick past Philippe Desrosiers for the 200th goal of his professional career at 17:30. Costello would add his second of the night and 17th of the season 1:12 into the third period on the power play. After a Hanson shot hit Desrosiers' blocker and rolled behind him, Costello was there to tap it over the goal line for a 5-0 Allen lead.

Spencer Asuchak opened the scoring with the only goal of the first period, a power play deflection of a David Makowski point shot 14:17 into the game for his 13th of the season. Allen was 2-for-5 on the power play for the night, giving them ten power play goals in their last four games.

In the second period, Joel Chouinard gave Allen a 2-0 lead on a one-timer off the post from the blue line at 10:03, his second of the season. Bryan Moore made it 3-0 just 3:43 later with a short-handed wrist shot from the right dot past the glove of Desrosiers.

At 3:49 of the third period, Gary Steffes' wrister from the slot capped the scoring, his seventh of the year.

The Steelheads had several chances to pull closer in the second period. Joe Basaraba hit the goal post after Gill had made an initial save, not counting among Basaraba's six shots in the game. David Glen also had six shots, and nearly broke Gill's shutout bid with two seconds left in the game on a rebound chance following a Miro Karjalainen one-timer.

Desrosiers stopped 30 of 36 shots after being assigned to Idaho from AHL Texas earlier in the day.

The six goals against were tied for the most surrendered in a game by the Steelheads this season, the other occasion coming on November 9th against Adirondack at CenturyLink Arena. It was also the first time the Steelheads were held off the score sheet since October 15th, their second game of the season against the Utah Grizzlies.

The Steelheads and Americans meet once more this season on Friday night at Allen Event Center, with puck-drop scheduled for 6:05pm MT. The game is available on 1350KTIK and on ECHLTV.

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Gill, Americans Shutout Steelheads
Gill, Americans Shutout Steelheads
(Dianne Webster)		   



ECHL Stories from December 22, 2016


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