ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads hold on to snap winless streak

March 26, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Boise, ID - Mark Derlago's 40th goal of the season proved to be the game-winner for the Idaho Steelheads Saturday night as the team held off a furious Ontario Reign rally for a 3-2 victory in front of 5,322 fans at a sold-out Qwest Arena in Boise.

There were tense moments down the stretch as Ontario went on the power play for the final 37 seconds of the game. With an extra attacker also on the ice in place of goaltender Beau Erickson giving the visitors a two-man advantage, the Reign pounded Idaho's penalty killers and netminder Adrien Lemay with shots, but Lemay stood tall and the clock expired before Ontario could get the equalizer.

The win snaps Idaho's season-long seven-game winless streak, improving the Steelheads to 30-26-13 on the season.

Idaho got the game's first goal early in the second period thanks to hard work along the boards by Geoff Irwin and the accurate snap of Aki Seitsonen. Irwin battled the puck free along the near wall, fed Seitsonen in the circle, and Seitsonen's blast beat Erickson to give Idaho a 1-0 lead.

Early in the third, Idaho would add to the lead when Derlago's nifty pass through traffic landed on the tape of Kael Mouillierat in the crease. Mouillierat tapped the puck into the net for his 24th goal of the season, giving the Steelheads a 2-0 lead. The lead ballooned to 3-0 four minutes later at 9:57 of the third when Evan Barlow, stationed in the far circle, found Derlago cutting toward the near post. A perfect pass from Barlow led to an easy finish from Derlago, his team-high 40th of the season.

The team's single-season record, set by Derlago last season, is 42 goals. Idaho has three games left in the regular season. Barlow, incidentally, now has 33 assists in 36 games since rejoining the Steelheads in late December.

Ontario battled back, though. Just over two minutes after Derlago gave Idaho a three-goal lead, Kyle Kraemer cut into it with a nice back-handed goal past Lemay to make it 3-1. Things got even more interesting at 14:44 when Jordan Morrison slammed home a power-play goal to make it 3-2.

Lemay and the Idaho defense came through down the stretch, however, including the inspiring effort as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

Lemay stopped 23 of 25 Ontario shots to improve to 5-2 on the season. Erickson took the loss, stopping 26 of 29 Idaho shots. The Steelheads were 2-of-5 on the power play, while the Reign converted 1 of 7 chances with the man advantage.

Note: Saturday marked the end of Idaho's "Pink the Rink" festivities as the silent auction for the team's specially-themed pink jerseys ended. One jersey sold outright for $1,500 and the auction raised more than $14,000 for St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute. Final numbers will be available early next week.

The final home game of the regular season for Idaho is Wednesday night when the Steelheads host the Utah Grizzlies. Fans asking for the "KTIK Section" can get tickets for just $13.50 per seat. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 or log on to www.idahosteelheads.com for more information.

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics



ECHL Stories from March 26, 2011


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