ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads hand Gulls first home loss, 3-1

December 4, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


SAN DIEGO, California – The Idaho Steelheads handed the San Diego Gulls their first home ice loss this season, downing San Diego 3-1 Friday night at the Sports Arena. Idaho improves to 5-2 on the road this season.

The Gulls opened the scoring with a power play goal by Max Birbraer, who beat Steelheads netminder Frank Doyle at the 16:43 mark of the opening period after the Steelheads failed to clear the puck. San Diego outshot Idaho 14-5 in the frame.

Idaho leveled the score in the second, when Warren Peters scored his fifth goal of the season at 4:41, off assists by Bobby Russell and David Morriset. Idaho recorded 14 shots on goal to San Diego's 9.

Idaho's Frank Lukes got the game winner, and his first goal of the season, on an unassisted tally at 4:11 of the third period. Lukes, returned to the Steelheads from the American Hockey League's Utah Grizzlies Thursday, along with teammate Brett Draney, gave Idaho an insurance goal with an empty netter at 18:40. Lance Galbraith assisted on Draney's third goal of the season.

"I'm proud of the effort this team put forth tonight. We won the first game of a three-game series, and now we can focus on playing good, smart hockey. That's what this team does best," Idaho head coach John Olver said. "I thought the second half of the game we controlled the play and forechecked aggressively. We had to work extremely hard to win. We had to do everything we could to win it, that's the way this division is."

Idaho's Doyle won his 10th game of the season and stopped a penalty shot by San Diego's Mark Pederson in the second period.

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