ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads Rally to Clip Condors, 5-4

February 10, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Boise, Idaho - Three different skaters scored, as the Steelheads buried five unanswered goals, propelling them to a 5-3 win over the Bakersfield Condors in front of 4,637 fans at Qwest Arena on Friday night.

The Steelheads (26-15-6) have now picked up points in five straight home games, improving to 12-9-5 at home, while winning for the first time this season against the Condors (19-18-5). Prior to tonight, the Steelheads had lost three straight home games, all in the shootout.

The visitors took a 2-0 lead into the closing minutes of the first period on power play goals by Sean Venedam and Mathieu Brunelle. Kevin Kotyluk drew helpers on both goals, while Venedam assisted on Brunelle's tally and defenseman Kevin Truelson assisted on Venedam's marker.

However, the Steelheads would not go quietly before the first intermission. Defenseman Jarad Bourassa's power play goal with 2:45 left in the frame cut the deficit in half. Dan Hacker and Garett Bembridge set up his ninth goal of the season.

Then with just 22 seconds left in the period, Hacker broke in on a shorthanded two-on-one opportunity and ripped a snap shot past Condors goaltender Ryan Munce (16 saves). Forward Matt Reid drew the only assist on Hacker's second goal of the campaign.

The two-goal spurt in just 2:23 seemed to seize the momentum for the Steelheads, as they opened the second period with a man advantage goal at 3:05, taking their first lead. Winger Scott Burt banged home his seventh goal of the season, with Bembridge and defenseman Tyler Kindle drawing the assists. At 8:27 of the period, Reid gave the Steelheads some breathing room, blasting a shot over Munce for his third goal of the season. Captain D'Arcy McConvey sent a centering feed through traffic, which Reid gathered a fired into the top shelf.

Hacker netted his second of the game with 6:20 left in the period, as he swept a rebound past Munce, who stopped Bourassa's initial offering. With the score 5-2, Munce was yanked from the cage in favor of Marty Magers (15 saves).

The visitors closed out the second period scoring, as Venedam buried his second power play goal of the game at 18:49 to give the Condors life. Truelson got the only assist. But after their second period barrage, the Steelheads led in shots 28-15 and 5-3 on the scoreboard.

Kotyluk's first goal of the year at 8:26 of the third made it 5-4, but the Condors would get no closer. Truelson added his third assist on the goal, while Venedam's helper completed a four-point effort. It was also the fourth power play goal of the game for the visitors, which is a season-high for a Steelheads opponent.

Hacker's three-point night was the second multiple point game of his young professional career, while Bourassa, Reid and Bembridge also notched multiple point games for the victors.

The final shots wer 36-20 in favor of the Steelheads, as they finished with four speciality teams goals, locking up their 10th win this season against a team from the Pacific Division.

The Steelheads last home game in the month of February is Saturday, February 11, as the three-game series versus the Condors concludes. The puck drops at 7:10 p.m. MST. All the action can be heard live on ESPN Radio 1350 AM, "The Ticket," beginning approximately 20 minutes before the drop of the puck.

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ECHL Stories from February 10, 2006


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