ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads beat Utah in OT, 6-5

January 23, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


West Valley City, Utah- Just as he did the last time the Steelheads played in Utah, Mark Bomersback scored the overtime winner for the Idaho Steelheads (22-14-3) to grab a 6-5 victory over the Utah Grizzlies (15-15-8). After an early lead, the Steelheads were forced to battle back to beat the Grizzlies. But this time, they only dressed seventeen players because of the late scratch of Matt Stephenson from the lineup due to an injury.

Tyler Shelast opened the scoring at 2:31 of the first by picking up a loose puck in front of Utah goalie Mike Mole after a Ben Nelson shot did not make it all the way to the goal; Nelson and Marty Flichel picked up assists on the tally that made the score 1-0. The other goal in the first period also went for the Steelheads; Idaho went up 2-0 when Kris Sparre, at 8:45, took a feed from Ben Nelson, deked against Mole, and beat the Utah netminder. The goal gave the Steelheads a 2-0 lead entering the second period.

Ryan Kinasewich scored the first goal of the second period, assisted by Rob Hennigar and Tim Verbeek at 0:34. Kris Sparre, with his second of the game, put the Steelheads up 3-1 with another solid move on Mole at 1:05; Nelson also added an assist on Sparre's second goal of the night. Tom May again pulled Utah to within a goal at 2:47, with assists going to Tyler Wooddisse and Evan Kotsopoulos.

Less than four minutes later, Tim Verbeek tied the game at three apiece for Utah, with assists going to Kinasewich and Kotsopoulos. With the score tied, the Steelheads had a goal disallowed when it was ruled by referee Keith Kaval that Matt McKnight made a kicking motion on a loose puck, sliding it across the line. However, the Steelheads did get the 4-3 lead when McKnight sprung Brent Shepheard on a breakaway with Idaho playing shorthanded. Shepheard marched in alone to beat Mole, and give his team a lead heading into the second intermission.

In the first eight minutes of the third, the Grizzlies got off to a 5-4 lead behind Rob Hennigar and Jordan Hart goals, before McKnight tied the game at 5-5 with 12:36 to go in regulation. Kory Scoran and Kris Sparre had assists on the goal.

In overtime, it only took 28 seconds for Mark Bomersback to break the tie and lock down the win for Idaho; Nelson had his fourth assist of the night on the overtime winner.

Matt Climie stopped 30 of 35 in the win, as his record improved to 14-8-1. Mole falls to 11-14-9 with the loss.

TONIGHT'S AQUAFINA THREE STARS:

Ben Nelson (IDH) Mark Bomersback (IDH) Evan Kotsopoulos (UTA)

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics



ECHL Stories from January 23, 2009


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