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ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Komm, Cross Lead Steelheads over Utah

February 28, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Boise, ID - Branden Komm made 38 saves in his first start at CenturyLink Arena and Damian Cross scored his first professional goal as the Idaho Steelheads (30-20-7) avenged their Friday night shootout loss with a 4-1 regulation win on Saturday night over the Utah Grizzlies (30-21-4). The win moved Idaho three points clear of the Grizzlies in the West Division standings, with Utah still holding two games in hand.

Komm earned his third win as a Steelhead, improving to 9-3-0 overall on the season. Komm stopped 20 shots in the first period and carried a shutout into the third before TJ Syner broke it up 4:48 into the final frame to make it a 3-1 game.

While Komm was shutting down the Grizzlies in the first, the Steelheads were hot out of the gates offensively with two goals in the game's first 6:34. Cross opened the scoring at 4:24 of the first, chasing down a bouncing puck along the left wing boards in the Grizzlies zone and firing a wrist shot at Utah's Ryan Faragher. Faragher juggled the shot, allowing it to roll through his legs and over the goal line for Cross' first career tally.

Just 2:10 later, Carson McMillan added to the lead with his 16th of the season, and tenth goal in the past 15 games. He and Andre Morrissette cycled in the left-wing corner of the Utah zone, with Grizzlies defenseman Tim Daly losing his stick in the process. That allowed Morrissette to feed McMillan between the circles with time and space to drag the puck across the slot and fire past a sprawled Faragher for a 2-0 lead.

Morrissette now has 11 points in the last 11 games.

The Steelheads extended their lead to three goals at 12:01 of the second off of an excellent effort by Jake Fallon. Cross carried the puck over the Utah blue line and dropped a pass back to Fallon at the high slot. Faragher made the initial save on the Fallon shot, with the rebound popping into the air. Following his own shot, Fallon batted the puck out of the air and into the net before crashing into the end boards, earning his fourth goal of the season.

Kyle Jean would add his 12th of the year into an empty net in the game's final minute to cement the 4-1 win.

The win moved the Steelheads to 9-2-1 against Utah this season.

Idaho returns to action at CenturyLink Arena on Wednesday night for the first of a three-game set with the Alaska Aces. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:10pm MT, with the game available on 1350AM KTIK, CableOne, and ECHLTV.

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