Steelheads Scrape Past Falcons, 4-3
January 3, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
BOISE, Idaho - The Idaho Steelheads improved their league-leading record to 22-7-3 on Friday with a 4-3 shootout win over the Fresno Falcons before a sold out crowd of 5,012 at the Bank of America Centre. Five of the regulation play goals came on power plays.
Tonight's game marked the second shootout between the two teams this season, and the first one to end in Idaho's favor. Head-to-head in 2002-03, the Steelheads are 3-2-1 against the Falcons.
The Steelheads put the pressure on early and kept the action around Fresno's netminder Terry Friesen, but it was the Falcons who scored first at 7:53 of the first period. Glen Gulutzan passed the puck out from behind the net and got a bounce off of Idaho's A.J. Begg to get one past Steelheads goaltender Jason Cugnet. Jason Weaver and Kirk Dewaele recorded the assists. The Steelheads tied it up at 12:51 on the first power play of the night with a goal from Chris Marinucci assisted by Marty Flichel and Ben Keup. Fresno went back on top at 18:14 when Jason Weaver scored his fourth of the year assisted by Cory Murphy and Kevin Haupt. The first period ended with the Falcons up by one.
The only scoring of the second period came from the Steelheads to tie the game at two goals apiece. Joe Rybar fed Scott Swanson with a beautiful diving pass, and Swanson sent it across the ice to Flichel who blew it past Friesen at 12:30.
At 4:01 of the third, Idaho jumped ahead for the first time in the game when Marinucci tallied his second power play goal of the night. Assists came from Jeremy Mylymok and Swanson. However, Fresno's Kayle Short knotted the score with 2:39 left in the game, assisted by Mike Barrie to end regulation play.
Cory Murphy scored the lone goal for Fresno in the shootout. Marinucci and Flichel each scored for Idaho to give the Steelheads the 4-3 win. The two teams meet again tomorrow night to play the last game of the weekend series. Puck drops at 7:00 p.m.
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ECHL Stories from January 3, 2003
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