Steelheads Sweep Rush for Fifth Straight Win
March 25, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
Aaron Harstad of the Idaho Steelheads vs. the Rapid City Rush
(Idaho Steelheads, Credit: Brian Losness)
Boise, ID - Cole Ully scored two goals and Tomas Sholl made 14 saves as the Idaho Steelheads (40-20-7) skated to a 5-2 win over the Rapid City Rush (21-39-6) on Saturday night in front of a sell-out crowd 5,119 fans for Marvel Super Heroes Night at CenturyLink Arena.
[cid:image003.jpg@01D3C3C4.F7098940]With the win, the Steelheads clinched home ice for the first round of the playoffs and reached the 40-win plateau for the 11th time in 15 ECHL seasons. The Steelheads also earned their fifth consecutive win, their longest winning streak during Head Coach Neil Graham's tenure.
Will Merchant opened the scoring at 8:05 of the first period, netting his 17th goal of the season and his third in the past four games. Charlie Dodero lifted a puck out of the Idaho zone that landed high in the Rush end, resting in the high slot for Merchant to step into for a one-timer past goaltender Christian Frey and a 1-0 Idaho lead.
Peter Sivak drew the Rush even at 14:16 of the first with his 24th of the year, a shot off a face-off win by rookie Alec Baer that deflected twice off of Merchant and Chris Martenet before skipping past Sholl.
The Steelheads struck twice in the second period to regain the lead. At 1:39 of the second, Eric Sweetman skated the puck from his own blue line ahead into Rush ice and snapped [Aaron Harstad, 3/24; Brian Losness] a high-slot wrister over Frey's glove for his eighth of the season. At 5:00, Ully extended the lead with his first of the game and 12th of the season, firing a shot from the right wing on a 2-on-1 over Frey's shoulder.
The Rush would not go quietly. After Dodero was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for charging, a hit that removed Andrew Miller from the game, the Rush capitalized on the power play. Peter Sivak found Andrew Radjenovic in the slot for a wrist shot past Sholl at 13:28 of the third to make it 3-2.
Idaho answered back with an insurance goal at 18:18, with Steve McParland tapping home a feed on a 3-on-1 rush from Brady Brassart for his 29th goal of the season to make it 4-2. McParland is one goal shy of becoming the 11th Steelhead in the ECHL era to reach 30 goals.
Ully was pulled down heading towards an empty net in the final minute, automatically awarded the empty-net goal for his second of the game.
Sholl remains unbeaten in regulation following his sixth straight win, now 11-0-2 on the season.
The Steelheads have hosted 16 sell-out crowds this season.
The Steelheads remain home for their final series of the regular season at CenturyLink Arena, a two-game set against the Utah Grizzlies beginning on Friday night. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7:10pm MT. The game is available on 1350AM KTIK and seen on Cable One and ECHLTV.
STEELHEADS STATS: Goals: Merchant (17), Sweetman (8), Ully (12,13), McParland (29) Tomas Sholl: 14 saves on 16 shots Power Play: 0-for-1 Penalty Kill: 1-for-2
CENTURYLINK THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Cole Ully IDH
2. Eric Sweetman IDH
3. Aaron Harstad IDH
COORS LIGHT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME Cole Ully: 2 goals, 3 shots, plus-2
PLAY OF THE GAME: The Steelheads needed an answer after Andrew Radjenovic brought the Rush within a goal. The Steelheads got the insurance they needed when Rush defenseman Brayden Sherbinin stumbled at the point and allowed the Steelheads to break in 3-on-1. Justin Parizek dropped a pass to the high slot and Brady Brassart, who continued to glide towards the net before feeding McParland for a back-door tap-in to put the game away for Idaho.
Images from this story
 Aaron Harstad of the Idaho Steelheads vs. the Rapid City Rush (Brian Losness) |
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