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ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads Hold off Late Charge to Topple Condors

December 5, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Boise, ID - Alex Belzile and Wade MacLeod each netted a pair of goals and the Idaho Steelheads held off a frantic rally in the closing minutes to defeat the Bakersfield Condors, 5-4, Friday night in front of 3,945 fans at Boise's CenturyLink Arena.

The win for Idaho (13-7-2, 28 points) kept the Steelheads atop the ECHL's Pacific Division. Nine of the team's past ten games have been decided by one goal. The two teams meet again on Saturday night in Boise.

After a scoreless first period, Idaho received an two-minute, two-man power play as both Brendan Brooks and Chase Schaber were sent to the penalty box for Bakersfield at 4:56 of the second period. Idaho worked the right wing on the 5-on-3 as Eamonn McDermott and Colton Beck teamed to deliver the puck to Wade MacLeod, who rifled home a shot from the right-wing circle at 5:23 to give Idaho a 1-0 advantage. Then, on the ensuing 5-on-4, Idaho worked the left wing as McDermott sent a pass to Alex Belzile for a one-time blast from the top of the left circle at 6:44 to make it 2-0. The lead stretched to three exactly one minute later as Andrew Huff created a turnover right in front of the Condor net, with the puck rolling right to David deKastrozza for a back-hand goal at 7:44, his eighth of the season, to make it 3-0 in favor of Idaho.

Bakersfield got one back at 13:08 when Graeme Craig's wrister from the left point fluttered off McDermott's leg and past a helpless Olivier Roy to cut Idaho's lead to 3-1. Bakersfield had two power-play opportunities late in the period with a chance to cut the deficit, but the Steelheads' penalty-kill unit held firm and Idaho took a two-goal lead into the final period.

After another successful penalty kill to open the third, the Steelheads got a big insurance goal at 6:23 of the third frame when MacLeod spotted Belzile driving down the slot from behind the net. MacLeod dumped the pass out front and Belzile drove home his second goal of the night - sixth this week - to make it 4-1. Belzile's tallies give him twelve on the season. A little over two minutes later, Idaho tallied what wound up being the game-winning goal when MacLeod redirected a Patrick Cullity point shot past Ty Rimmer at 8:45 to make it 5-1. MacLeod has now score two goals in back-to-back games, giving him nine on the season.

The Condors didn't let Idaho cruise home, though, scoring three times in the span of 1:12 inside the final five minutes. First, it was Nick MacNeil on the power play as a seeing-eye pass somehow bounced through a sea of bodies to the right-wing post for the tap-home goal. Then, 24 seconds later, MacNeil scored on a rebound to make it 5-3 with 3:16 remaining in the third period. At that point, Bakersfield pulled its goaltender in favor of an extra attacker and scored again, as Brendan Brooks tallied with 2:28 to play.

The CenturyLink Arena crowd collectively held its breath with about 30 seconds to play as a loose puck rolled toward Schaber at the right-wing post for Bakersfield. With a potential game-tying goal looming, McDermott reached back, tied up Schaber's stick and the puck rolled harmlessly away as the Steelheads held off the late Condor charge.

MacLeod (two goals, assist), Belzile (two goals) and McDermott (two assists) all had multi-point nights in the win for Idaho.

Olivier Roy picked up his tenth win of the season for Idaho while Ty Rimmer took the loss. Each team put 33 shots on net. Idaho's penalty-kill unit went 4-5 and the power-play squad scored twice on three attempts.

The Steelheads and Condors battle again on Saturday, December 6, as the Steelheads will again wear special jerseys to be auctioned off to raise money for St. Luke's Children's hospital. Tickets are available online at www.idahosteelheads.com or by calling the CenturyLink Arena box office at 331-8497.

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