Salmon Kings Beat Steelheads in Overtime

January 14, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Victoria Salmon Kings News Release


Boise, ID - In a Friday night match-up at Qwest Arena the Victoria Salmon Kings took on division rival the Idaho Steelheads in their 11th meeting of the season. The Salmon Kings went to former ECHL All-Star David Shantz between the pipes, while the Steelheads countered with St. Cloud State University graduate Jase Weslosky.

The Salmon Kings came out with a strong effort and took the 1-0 lead on their first shot of the game. From the left corner Matt Siddall found Chad Painchaud in the slot area. Victoria's leading scorer from last season put the puck between the legs of Weslosky for his 14th of season at 2:16. Idaho would receive back-to-back power play opportunities as they looked to tie the game. On the second power play opportunity the Steelheads' leading point getter Mark Derlago found a loose puck in front of the net after a goalmouth scramble at 7:26. Derlago slid the puck into the empty cage for his 18th of the year. Idaho's Evan Barlow and Cody Lampl broke in on a 2-on-1 with five minutes remaining in the frame as the Steelheads looked for their first lead. Barlow burst down the left side and fired a pass in front of the net to Lampl. Lampl got his stick on the puck, but Shantz slide across to deny the Steelheads' defender with the left pad. Late in the period, Steelheads' forward and Victoria, BC native Geoff Irwin caught Jeff Caister from behind with a hit in the Salmon Kings' defensive zone. Matt Siddall took exception and unloaded several punches on Irwin before the linesman intervened. Siddall received a triple minor for roughing on the play. Idaho held a 12-5 shot lead as the teams went into the second period knotted 1-1.

The Salmon Kings opened the second frame killing off the penalty to Siddall. Prior to Siddall stepping back onto the ice, Victoria forward Ryan MacMurchy circled around the Idaho net and found Ryan Turek at the right point. Turek then in turn found Adam Taylor to the left of the net, and the Campbell River, BC native made no mistake burying his second of the campaign as he completed the tic-tac-toe play at 2:33. The goal was the Salmon Kings' second shorthanded marker of the season. Moments later, Matt Stefanishion was sprung in on a breakaway and the former Fresno Falcon took a quick wrist shot from hash marks, but Weslosky snapped his glove out to retrieve the puck. Victoria looked to keep up the pressure and find their third goal of the night. From the just above the goaline on the left side Taylor found Turek with a perfect pass as he skated in to the hash marks. The Salmon Kings' defender snapped a quick shot past Weslosky for his fifth at 8:30. Frustrated by the Salmon Kings' two unanswered goals Cody Lampl looked to find a spark for the Steelheads. Lampl dropped the gloves with Siddall halfway through the frame. The two combatants wrestled around for a few seconds before they fell to the ice.

Just past the midway point of the period, Salmon Kings' forward Matt Butcher broke in down the right side on a Steelhead's defender. The Bellingham, WA native made a nice deke into his own legs as he kicked the puck to his stick as he cut to the net. Butcher put the puck short side for his first professional goal at 13:56. After the goal Mike Zacharias replaced Weslosky in the Idaho goal. The Salmon Kings' three goals in the second period had them take a 4-1 lead into the final period.

The Salmon Kings looked to close out the game early in the third period, but Steelheads' forward Irwin cut Victoria's lead down to two at 5:23 as he came out from the right corner and snuck the puck between the right post and left pad of Shantz for his third goal of the year. Minutes later Stefanishion and Steve Oleksy dropped the gloves. Stefanishion landed early heavy rights to cut open Oleksy and land the victory in the bout. The Steelheads continued their comeback at 10:27 on the power play. Lampl threw the puck to the net through a maze of bodies. Cody Purves found the loose puck in the slot and backhanded it up and over the glove of the Shantz for his fifth. Later in the frame the Steelheads broke in on a 3-on-2. Evan Barlow found Kael Mouillierat on the left side. The Idaho rookie cut to the net and around the Victoria goaltender to complete the three goal comeback at 11:44. The marker was Mouillierat's 16th of the year. Idaho notched their fourth goal of the period and their third power play marker at 15:08. Oleksy fired a puck from left point that went off the end boards and onto the stick of Derlago on the right side of the net. Derlago put it into the empty net for his second of the night to give the home side a 5-4 advantage. The back and fourth game continued as seconds later the Salmon Kings immediately erased the Idaho lead. Captain Pete Vandermeer threw the puck on net from the right face-off circle. The puck sneaked past the left pad of Zacharias for his fourth marker on the season. After sixty minutes the Salmon Kings and Steelheads were tied 5-5 and headed to overtime.

The opening minute of overtime saw both teams go end-to-end as they looked for the game-winning goal. As the Salmon Kings pressed, Caister passed the puck from the right corner behind the net to Tim Kraus. The Victoria forward then found Rick Cleaver at the hash marks. The former Kalamazoo Wing one timed the puck between the legs of Zacharias for his 10th of the season and the game winning goal at 1:53.

Salmon Kings 6 Steelheads 5.

Victoria went 0/2 0.0% on the power play, while Idaho was 3/6 50.0%. The Steelheads outshot the Salmon Kings 34-22.

Victoria continues their three game series with Idaho tomorrow Saturday January 15th and Sunday January 16th at Qwest Arena in Boise, ID. Game time is at 6:10 for both match-ups. To watch or listen live to Salmon Kings hockey visit www.salmonkings.com. For tickets call 250-220-7777 or visit www.selectyourtickets.com.



ECHL Stories from January 14, 2011


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