Steelheads Weekly Recap And Look Ahead
Published on April 15, 2002 under ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
Boise, ID. â The Steelheads opened the Larry Miller Subaru Mitsubishi Taylor Cup Playoffs against Anchorage last week. Anchorage shocked Idaho with a 5-0 win in game one on Friday. The Steelheads responded with a 7-3 win on Saturday to even the series at one game apiece. The Steelheads travel to Anchorage for games three and four this Wednesday and Friday at Sullivan Arena. Game five if necessary will be at the BofA Centre on Saturday, April 20th. For tickets call 331-8497 (TIXS).
GAME ONE
Friday night the Anchorage Aces jumped all over the Idaho Steelheads and skated their way to a 5-0 win in game one of the first round of the Larry Miller Subaru Mitsubishi Taylor Cup Playoffs. Aces rookie goalie, Jamie McCaig, pitched a shutout in his first post-season start to power Anchorage to a 1-0 lead in the best of five series. Game two is Saturday night at the BofA Centre. The Aces got on the board early thanks to a quirky bounce. Williams fired a shot over the net of Steelheads goalie Blair Allison and it rebounded off the glass back into the slot where Praznik slammed it home at 2:53 of the first period. Despite trailing 1-0, the Steelheads outplayed the Aces over the first seven minutes, but slowly Anchorage took control of the game. Young scored on a power play rocket at 11:40 to make it 2-0 Anchorage. Then Wrobel scored shorthanded at 18:08 to give the Aces a 3-0 lead after one period of play. In the second the Aces continued to take it to the Steelheads. Out-hitting, out-hustling and out playing Idaho. Praznik scored his second of the game at 10:21 to make it 4-0. Then Wrobel got loose on a breakaway and potted his second of the night at 14:21. It was 5-0 Anchorage after two periods of play. Neither team scored in the third. FINAL SCORE Anchorage 5, Idaho 0. Idaho out shot Anchorage 37-27. The Steelheads went 0-8 on the power play, while Anchorage went 1-2. McCaig was brilliant in the pipes, stopping all 37 shots to record his first post-season win. Allison stopped 22 of 27 shots in the loss. Notable-Anchorage - In eight previous post-season series the Aces had never one game one. With the win all-time Anchorage is 1-8 in the opening game of a post-season series. Idaho -John Olver had been 24-0 in Northern division games coming into Friday night. The Steelheads have now lost four straight games in the post season on home ice, dating back to last year's Taylor Cup Finals against San Diego (gms 3-5). Series - Anchorage leads the best of five games, 1-0.
GAME TWO
The Idaho Steelheads have made a habit of responding well from bad efforts all year. After getting whitewashed 5-0 in game one on Friday by Anchorage, the Steelheads responded with a solid 7-3 win in game two to even the series at one game apiece in front of 4,361 fans at the BofA Centre. Cal Ingraham had a pair of goals, and Bobby Stewart had a goal and three assists to lead the way. The teams travel north to Anchorage for games three and four at Sullivan Arena this Wednesday and Friday. Game five if necessary would be Saturday, April 20th at the BofA Centre. Idaho got on the board first when Greg Bullock (1) capitalized during a five-on-three power play with a wrist shot at 8:16. With a one-man advantage still in effect, Ingraham stuffed home his first of the night on a rebound at 9:28 to make it 2-0 Steelheads. Matt Oates (1) then scored on a screened wrister at 16:40 to put Idaho up 3-0. Former Steelhead Zdenek Ondrej scored for the Aces at 18:21 to cut the margin to 3-1. Early in the second period Derek Paget (1) got loose on a breakaway at 4:06 to increase Idaho's lead back to three goals. The Aces responded with goals by Young at 7:38 and Ondrej at 10:39, for his second of the night, to make it a one-goal game. Stewart (1) then drove down the left wing and muscled his way to the front of the net to score the fifth goal of the game for the Steelheads and once again give them a two-goal lead. With under a minute to go in the period, Ingraham gave Idaho some breathing room with a backhander at 19:16. It was 6-3 Idaho after two periods. Dan Shermerhorn (1) scored the only goal of the third period at 1:27 to cap it off. FINAL SCORE Idaho 7, Anchorage 3. Idaho out shot Anchorage 42-26. The Steelheads went 2-6 on the power play, while Anchorage went 0-4. Aces goalie Jamie McCaig, who was brilliant in game one, was peppered with 42 shots and took the loss. Blair Allison rebounded from a sub par effort in game one and was solid in making 23 saves to get the win. Notable-Anchorage â The series returns to Anchorage where the Aces posted their only two wins of the season against Idaho, going 2-7-4 overall and 2-4-1 at Sullivan Arena. Idaho â With the win Idaho snaps a four game post season losing streak on home ice that dated back to last year's Taylor Cup playoffs Series - The best of five is tied at 1-1.
NEXT UP FOR IDAHO
The Steelheads travel to Anchorage to play games three and four on Wednesday and Friday. If necessary, game five will be played at the BofA Centre on Saturday, April 20th. For tickets call 331-8497 (TIXS).
NOTABLE IN THE SERIES
Anchorage - In eight previous post-season series the Aces had never one game one. With the win on Friday night Anchorage is 1-8 in the opening game of a post-season series. The series returns to Anchorage where the Aces posted their only two wins of the season against Idaho, going 2-4-1 at Sullivan Arena.
Idaho -John Olver had been 24-0 in Northern division playoff games before the loss in game one on Friday night. With the win on Saturday, Idaho snaps a four game post-season losing streak on home ice that dated back to last year's Taylor Cup playoffs
REGULAR SEASON VS. ANCHORAGE
THIS SEASONâ The Steelheads lead the season series 11-2-0, including a 6-0-0 mark at the BofA Centre.
COMING INTO 01-02 â All-time Idaho is 34-18-3 versus the Aces, including a 20-5-2 mark at the BofA Centre.
REGULAR SEASON RECAP
Franchise Records
The Steelheads set and matched several franchise records this season. With 47 wins Idaho matched last season record for wins. With 102 points Idaho eclipsed last seasons record total of 98 points. With 29 home wins Idaho set a franchise record and matched a league record. The Steelheads won 18 straight games at home to set a new franchise record and also match the second longest home win streak in league history.
ECHL Stories from April 15, 2002
- Gulls Off to Quick Start in Postseason - San Diego Gulls
- Steelheads Weekly Recap And Look Ahead - Idaho Steelheads
- Bandits Drop First Two to SeaWolves - Jackson Bandits
- Condors Weekly - Bakersfield Condors
- All Along the Coast - ECHL
- Bombers Take First Two Games of Division Final - Dayton Bombers
- Goehring, Bombers Shut Down Chiefs - Dayton Bombers
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