ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Ontario rides power play past Idaho

Published on March 25, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


(Boise, ID) - Ontario netted three power-play goals, the last of which from Jordan Morrison proved to be the game-winner, as the Reign held off the Idaho Steelheads Friday night, 3-2, in front of a sellout crowd of 5,044 at Boise's Qwest Arena.

The Reign came into the game converting just over 15 percent of their power-play chances, 17th in the 19-team ECHL, but went 3-for-8 with the man advantage on Friday.

Ontario scored the only goal of the first two periods when Kyle Kraemer got loose at the edge of the near circle. Justin Taylor found him with the puck, Kraemer settled it down, and snapped it over the shoulder of Dusty Carlson for the 1-0 lead.

The Reign stretched the lead to 2-0 early in the third on Aaron Lewadniuk's 16th of the season, finishing a brilliant back-door pass from David Walker at the 3:44 mark.

Idaho finally got on the board at 8:21 of the third when Mark Derlago snapped home a feed from Chad Nehring from the bottom of the far circle to make it 2-1. It was Derlago's 39th goal of the season and Nehring's first professional point in his second professional game. Before the fans could get back into their seats, however, Chris Hepp was hit with a tough interference call and Ontario cashed in on the man advantage again, this time it was Alex Bourret with the perfect feed to Morrison at 9:27 to make it 3-1.

Idaho did not fade quietly into the night. At 13:13 of the third, Marty Flichel's slapshot deflected off Ontario defenseman Shawn Germain and into the back of the net to make it 3-2. The power-play marker was Flichel's 20th of the season.

The Steelheads kept the pressure on Ontario netminder Beau Erickson in the closing seconds, including a Flichel wrister that skipped just wide of the far post with less than five seconds left, but could not net the equalizer.

Carlson turned aside 20 of 23 shots for Idaho while Erickson stopped 30 of 32.

Prior to the game, the Steelheads handed out their team awards. For the second consecutive year, Derlago was voted by his teammates as the team's Most Valuable Player. Kael Mouillierat was voted the Rookie of the Year, Dustin Friesen the Defenseman of the Year, Cody Purves the Most-Improved Player of the Year, Geoff Irwin the Unsung Hero of the Year, and Marty Flichel the Most Inspirational Player.

"Pink in the Rink" Week concludes Saturday night at Qwest Arena when the Steelheads once again face the Ontario Reign. The team will be wearing specially-themed pink jerseys that will be auctioned off to raise money to benefit the St. Luke's Mountain State Tumor Institute. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 or log on to www.idahosteelheads.com for more information.

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ECHL Stories from March 25, 2011


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