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ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Offensive Erupts in Home Opener as Steelheads Defeat Grizzlies 7-2

October 19, 2024 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


BOISE, ID - The Idaho Steelheads (1-0-0-0, 2pts) defeated the Utah Grizzlies (0-1-0-0, 0pts) Friday night by a final score of 7-2 in the home opener on front of a sellout crowd of 5,104 at the Idaho Central Arena. Idaho will host the Toledo Walleye next week for a three-game set beginning Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.

The Steelheads scored three goals in a stretch of 3:59 as they led 3-0 after the first 20 minutes. Idaho went on the game's first power-play at 7:51 of the frame and at 8:58 Ty Pelton-Byce (1st) found the back of the net making it 1-0. Pelton-Byce from the right circle dot fed Hank Crone in the high slot. From there Crone delivered it back to Pelton-Byce where he hammered a one-timer home. Just 41 seconds later A.J. White (1st) made it 2-0. The captain collected the puck on the left-wing wall and danced to the high slot. Inside the right circle he sent a backhander off the skate of the Utah defender into the cage at 9:39. Connor MacEachern (1st) got his first as a Steelhead at 12:57 increasing the lead to 3-0. Patrick Kudla from behind the goal line fed MacEachern right at the top of the crease where he directed it home.

Idaho outscored Utah 3-2 in the second period taking a 6-2 lead into the dressing room through 40 minutes of play. After Mark Olver rang the crossbar from the right circle, Connor Punnett (1st) stepped into the puck on the left-wing boards and let a slap shot fly increasing the lead to 4-0 just 69 seconds into the frame. The Grizzlies went on their second power-play of the game at 12:36 of the period but it would be Ty Pelton-Byce (2nd) providing a short-handed score at 13:06 making it 5-0. Pelton-Byce drove across the blue line and fed Thomas Caron on the right side. Caron cut to the high slot and found Pelton-Byce below the right dot for a one-timer. Utah would finally get on the board thanks to a power-play goal from Neil Shea at 14:31, their 19thshot of the game. Just 2:23 later Thomas Caron (1st) would hand the Steelheads back a five-goal lead.

The only goal in the third period came from Justin Ertel (1st) on a shot from the left circle at 6:01.

Ben Kraws made 26 saves on 28 shots in the victory while Adam Scheel made 32 saves on 39 shots in the loss.

ICCU Three Stars

1) Ty Pelton-Byce (2-0-2, +1, 3 shots)

2) Connor Punnett (1-1-2, +2, 3 shots)

3) Connor MacEachern (1-1-2, +3, 2 shots)

GAME NOTES

Idaho went 1-for-2 on the power-play while Utah was 1-for-3.

Idaho outshot Utah 39-28.

Idaho is now 135-67-27 all-time vs. Utah and 81-32-15 in Boise.

Tomas Sholl (IR), Romain Rodzinski (DNP), C.J. Walker (DNP), and Sam Sternschein (DNP) did not dress for Idaho.

Connor Punnett (1-1-2) and Justin Ertel each scored their first professional goals while Connor MacEachern and Thomas Caron scored their first goals as Steelheads.

Ty Pelton-Byce recorded his seventh career multi-goal game adding a power-play and short-handed goal.

Patrick Kudla finished with three assists while Hank Crone added two.

11 different players recorded a point while seven had multi-point games.

Stay up to date with all things Steelheads on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Watch all Steelheads home games on FloHockey and KTVB 24/7 (Channel 7.2) and listen on the Steelheads flagship station 95.3 FM KTIK The Ticket.

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics

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