ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads Game Day Storylines at South Carolina

Published on March 15, 2018 under ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Steel Reel

The Steelheads look to bounce back from their 4-2 defeat in Atlanta on Tuesday as their road trip continues in Charleston with the first of two contests against the South Carolina Stingrays. It is Idaho's first visit to North Charleston Coliseum since January 2013, and they enter with a seven-point hold on second place in the Mountain Division. The Stingrays have already secured their spot in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, currently second in the South Division and looking to track down the top spot in the Eastern Conference, currently three points back.

Connor Chatham and Steve McParland both scored for the Steelheads on Tuesday in Atlanta, but it wasn't enough to overcome a three-goal deficit in an eventual 4-2 defeat. Former Steelheads Branden Troock and Derek Nesbitt both scored for the Gladiators, as Michael Bitzer made 23 saves in suffering his first pro defeat. Jack Nevins picked up an assist for his first point as a Steelhead.

Old Stomping Grounds...

Steve McParland returns to Charleston for his first game since helping to lead the Stingrays to a Kelly Cup Final last season. McParland returns as Idaho's leading goal-scorer after netting his 28th goal of the season on Tuesday on a play from below the goal line. McParland has collected five goals and six points during his current five-game points streak, and he has seven goals and nine points in his last ten games. His 28 goals are tied for fifth-most in the league, two shy of making him just the tenth Steelhead in the ECHL era to score 30 goals in a season.

Sholly the Goalie...

Steelheads goaltender Tomas Sholl was awarded ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors on Tuesday after a stellar first week in Boise. The rookie goaltender is 1-0-1 as a Steelhead, earning a point in a shootout loss to the Allen Americans last Wednesday and then beating the Kansas City Mavericks in overtime on the following Saturday. Sholl is unbeaten in regulation in his first ten ECHL appearances, eight of them with the Adirondack Thunder, going 6-0-2 with a 1.89 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage. In two starts with Idaho, he has stopped 54 of 57 shots.

About the Stingrays...

South Carolina has won four of its last five games and became the second team this season to clinch a playoff spot on March 6th, hoping to repeat as Eastern Conference Champions and return to the Kelly Cup Final for a third time in four years. Captain Joe Devin has been with the Stingrays throughout that run, now in his fourth year with the team and second on the team in points with 49, including six goals and ten points over the last 11 games. Taylor Cammarata, this year's All-Star MVP, has a goal and five points in his last five outings, and defenseman Joey Leach is riding a five-game points streak with seven assists. Leading scorer Steven Whitney has two goals and 12 points during a six-game scoring streak. Parker Milner is among the league's top goaltenders, ranking first in goals-against average (1.94), third in save percentage (.929), and fifth in wins (21) over 29 appearances.

Idaho Leaders Stingrays Leaders

Goals: McParland (28) Goals: Devin/Zajac (19)

Assists: J. Dahl (36) Assists: Whitney (32)

Points: J. Dahl (56) Points: Whitney (49)

Plus/Minus: McParland (+21) Plus/Minus: Federico (+26)

Power Play Goals: McParland (9) Power Play Goals: Zajac (8)

Goals-Against Average: Sholl (1.89) Goals-Against Average: Milner (1.94)

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics

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ECHL Stories from March 15, 2018


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