Steelheads lose in shootout to Utah
February 12, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
Boise, ID- The Idaho Steelheads (33-11-4) led with less than two minutes left, but the Utah Grizzlies (22-20-6) tied the game with 1:25 remaining and topped Idaho in a shootout to win 4-3 before a crowd of 4,776 at Qwest Arena. With the shootout loss, the Idaho Steelheads extended their season-long unbeaten-in-regulation streak to 10 games, and Idaho's Mark Derlago prolonged his point streak to 14 games with a goal in the first period.
Before anyone found the back of the net, Idaho's Adam Huxley and Utah's Steve McJannet engaged in a spirited bout at center ice; a tilt that ignited the 4,776 fans in attendance.
Derlago's goal was the first of the game, as he swatted home the rebound from a Tyler Spurgeon shot to give Idaho a 1-0 lead at 10:05 of the opening frame. Spurgeon and Cody Lampl assisted on Derlago's 22nd goal of the season.
At 15:44, former Steelheads Lance Galbraith picked the pocket of Idaho's Kevin DeVergilio in Idaho territory, and quickly snapped a shot along the ice that crossed the goal line to tie the game for Utah. The goal sent the game to the first intermission tied at one goal apiece.
At 8:08 of the second period, another turnover resulted in a goal, but this time it was Idaho's Mark McCutcheon capitalizing on a Utah defensive zone blunder. McCutcheon carried the puck to the left circle, and fired a shot top-shelf on Utah netminder Mitch O'Keefe for his sixth goal of the year. Adam Huxley and Spurgeon earned assists on the goal.
Less than 90 seconds later, Utah's Peter Aston took a puck following a faceoff, and launched it through traffic from the right point to beat Idaho's Richard Bachman upstairs to tie the game.
However, Idaho answered back quickly when John Swanson scored his 14th goal at 9:57. Swanson received a pass at the top of the crease from Matt McKnight, and one-timed the puck into the goal for his second goal in as many games. DeVergilio also assisted on the goal that gave Idaho the lead until the game's final minutes.
Just as he did in the second period, Aston wristed a puck from the right point through traffic and beat Bachman high to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, Utah killed a two-minute slashing penalty that was assessed to McJannet, who retaliated against Idaho's Cody Lampl after Lampl delivered a crushing open-ice blow to Utah's Brett Parnham; one that left Parnham scrambling for his helmet in the Steelheads' defensive zone. No penalty was called against Lampl on the hit.
In the shootout, the Steelheads darted off to a 2-0 lead, and at one point led by a 3-1 margin, but Utah refused to go away, and eventually won the breakaway battle in six rounds, with Tony Romano scoring the decisive fourth shootout goal for the Grizzlies.
With the shootout loss, Richard Bachman falls to 14-5-3. He stopped 19 of 22 shots in the game. Mitch O'Keefe is now 15-9-4 after the shootout win. He stopped 39 of 42 shots in the game, and has turned away 71 of 75 shots over the first two games of this three-game series.
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