Steelheads Down 'Runners 6-3, Stay Perfect

by Andrew Nordmeier
Published on November 4, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners


The Idaho Steelheads (6-0-0) used a pair of two-goal bursts to help post a 6-3 win over the Phoenix Roadrunners (3-3) Thursday night in ECHL action at America West Arena.

"Everybody went on their own pages and own agenda," Roadrunners Head Coach Ron Filion said, "that's not how our team is strong. We're strong when we stick together."

Trailing 2-0, Idaho's Marty Flichel scored at the 10:49 mark when he beat Roadrunners' netminder Mathieu Chouinard for his third goal of the season. His long bomb from the point beat Chouinard cleanly to get the Steelheads on the board.

Just 33 seconds later, Idaho tied the game at 2-2 when Brad Thompson tipped a loose puck home. Chouinard was caught out of the crease and flopped down on his belly looking for the loose puck. Thompson found it first and slid it in to the empty net for his second of the year.

The Roadrunners took a 3-2 lead into the first intermission thanks to Cory Pecker's fifth of the year on the power play. His shot from the side of the net found its way behind Steelheads' netminder Matt Yeats at the 17:58 mark.

And that's when the Roadrunners fell apart again. Their second period woes continued as they were outscored 3-0 in the middle 20 minutes and outshot 12-5 in the period.

"When we play as a team, a group and in our system we have a heck of a good team," Filion said, "but when everybody starts going on their own page, we start becoming a regular hockey team."

Idaho's Janos Vas tied the game at 3-3 when he converted on a 2-on-1 breakaway. He shifted from the backhand to the forehand and it fooled Chouinard at 5:29 on the power play. That started another burst and it ended 51 seconds later when D'Arcy McConvey scored his fourth of the season to give the Steelheads a lead they wouldn't surrender. McConvey, Idaho's leading scorer was left unmarked in the slot and snuck in behind the defense to find the net.

Matt Reid scored at 13:05 of the second to make it 5-3 and give Idaho three unanswered goals. A discarded stick behind the net deflected the puck and Reid tapped home the loose puck. Mike Stutzel added a third-period goal to close out the scoring and the Steelheads had four unanswered goals to knock the Roadrunners out.

Jason Deskins and Mike Ouellett gave Phoenix a 2-0 lead with goals in the first four minutes but couldn't hold that lead.

Phoenix has little time to recover from this loss as they head to Las Vegas to tangle with the Wranglers tomorrow night at 8pm. The Steelheads take a quick trip to Long Beach to battle the Ice Dogs. These two teams meet again Saturday night in Phoenix to close out their weeks.

"Tomorrow morning's another day and I have tons of confidence that our team will bounce back," Filion said, "We're upset. We're angry right now."

Three Stars

3. Ouellett-PHX Goal and an assist to generate most of the offense for Phoenix

2. Vas-Idaho Goal and an assist to keep Idaho perfect.

1. Burt-Idaho Three assists in the win

Notes: Phoenix killed off 21 straight penalties before allowing Flichel's power-play strike in the first period...Roadrunner forward J.F. Soucy was sent head-over heels when he was upended by Idaho's Jeremy Mylymok; Soucy was not injured on the vicious but clean hit...Idaho finished 3-of-6 on the power play while Phoenix was just 1-of-7 with the extra man...Attendance was 2,808.

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ECHL Stories from November 4, 2005


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