ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Steelheads weekly update

March 15, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


BOISE, Idaho - The Idaho Steelheads swept the Long Beach Ice Dogs in a three-game series last week, and now get set to visit divisional foes, Bakersfield and Las Vegas before returning home for the final homestand of the regular season. Despite picking up six points against the Ice Dogs, the Steelheads (79 points) remain three points behind the second place Las Vegas Wranglers (82 points) and 11 points back from the divisional leader San Diego Gulls (90 points).

IDAHO STEELHEADS RECORD:

36-18-7, 79 points. At home: 22-7-3. On the road: 14-11-4. Last ten: 7-2-1. Streak: 3-0-0.

OFFENSIVE:

Lance Galbraith was the story last week, recording his second hat trick this season and bringing the Steelheads back from a three-goal deficit on Saturday, March 13th to eventually win the game (in overtime on a goal by Darrell Hay). Forward Scott Burt continues to be red hot, scoring 4 points in the series against Long Beach (2 goals, 2 assists)...Burt has tallied 15 points in his last 10 games (6 goals, 9 assists).

DEFENSIVE:

David Cornacchia is tied for tenth in scoring amongst defenseman, and tops the team for defenseman with 39 points, 8 goals, 31 assists...

IN THE NET:

Goaltender Blair Allison is 19-9-6, with a 2.54 goals-against average and .910 save percentage, adding a win from March 10th. Goaltender Scott Kabotoff recorded two wins in his first two starts for Idaho, on March 12th and 13th, and improved his record to 6-5-3, with a 3.53 goals-against average and .880 save percentage. With Idaho, Kabotoff is 3-0, with a 1.92 goals-against and .925 save percentage.

GAME RECAPS:

03/10/04: IDAHO 3, LONG BEACH 2

BOISE, Idaho -- Idaho ended its first two-game home losing streak of the season with a solid 3-2 win over Long Beach before 4,128 at the Bank of America Centre. In the process, the Steelheads clinched a playoff spot in the ECHL's Pacific Division. Long Beach had a 5-on-3 for most of the final two minutes of the opening period. The team capitalized with the first goal of the game with a one-man advantage. Idaho netminder Blair Allison positioned himself to block a shot by Darren Partch, but Partch instead fed Mark Gouett across the crease. Gouett cashed in with a shot into the wide-open net to give the Ice Dogs the lead with only four seconds remaining in the period. Idaho's Dylan Gyori notched the equalizer at 7:09 of the middle frame. Andrei Vasilyev brought the puck into Long Beach's zone and the puck was poke-checked out to Adam Copeland who took a shot. As Long Beach goalie T.J. Aceti juggled the bouncing puck, Gyori knocked it in. Idaho tightened its defense in the third period, and took the lead for good when Derek Paget scored on a nice pass from Scott Burt. The tally came at 11:08 of the third period. Burt and Paget combined on the Steelheads' game-winning goal at 17:42, with Burt scoring his 13th of the season and 9th point in the last six games. Long Beach got back to within one just :36 later, as Alex Kim deflected a shot in off his skate and past Allison. Despite pulling its goalie late, the Ice Dogs could not equalize, and Idaho joined San Diego and Las Vegas in securing a playoff berth.

03/12/4: IDAHO IDAHO 5, LONG BEACH 1

BOISE, Idaho (Ticker) -- Jan Kopecky and Darrell Hay both had a goal and an assist to help the Idaho Steelheads to a 5-1victory over the Long Beach Ice Dogs. Kopecky picked up his team-leading 22nd goal of the season just nine seconds into the contest and helped out on the tally by Hay 6:45 into the second period to stake Idaho to a 2-0 lead. After Long Beach drew within a goal midway through the second, the Steelheads responded with three goals in a four and a half minute span, including a power-play marker by Dylan Gyori with 61 seconds remaining. Scott Kabotoff turned aside 25 of the 26 shots he faced for Idaho, which improved to 6-0-3 against the Ice Dogs this season. Martin Paquet had the lone goal for Long Beach, his sixth of the season. David Burleigh made 25 saves in defeat. The Ice Dogs lost for the fourth time in their last six games.

03/13/04: IDAHO 4, LONG BEACH 3 (OT)

BOISE, Idaho (Ticker) -- Darrel Hay scored in overtime and Lance Galbraith recorded a natural hat trick to help the Idaho Steelheads rally past the Long Beach Ice Dogs, 4-3. After Galbraith tallied with 5:49 left in the third period to force overtime, Hay netted his second game-winning goal in as many games just 40 seconds into the extra session. With Idaho trailing 3-0, Galbraith scored with 1:53 left in the opening period, netted a second goal with under a minute remaining in the second and completed the hat trick with the tying goal in the third. Scott Kabotoff did not allow a goal over the final two periods and finished with 28 saves for the Steelheads, who are unbeaten in 10 meetings with Long Beach (7-0-3). Nick Ganga, Darcy Johnson and Mark Gouett each scored a goal in the first period for the Ice Dogs, and Alex Kim assisted on a pair of goals to notch his 12th point in his last six games for Long Beach. T.J. Aceti made 23 saves in the loss.

PAST WEEK TRANSACTIONS:

3/10/2004 Add DEREK PAGET (F) activated off IR
3/10/2004 Add DARRELL HAY (D) activated off IR
3/10/2004 Delete BRETT DRANEY (F) recalled to Utah (AHL)
3/12/2004 Delete DAVID BARARUK (F) recalled to Utah (AHL)
3/12/2004 Add MIKE SGROI (F) assigned from Utah (AHL)

UP NEXT:

Wednesday, March 17: Idaho Steelheads @ Bakersfield Condors
Friday, March 19: Idaho Steelheads @ Las Vegas Condors
Saturday, March 20: Idaho Steelheads @ Las Vegas Condors

COMMUNITY SCHEDULE:

Monday, March 15th, 3:15-4:15: Forward Scott Burt and goaltender Blair Allison will be matched with "Little Brothers" at Hawthorne Elementary through the Big Brothers Big Sisters After School Mentoring Program.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

The Steelheads will practice Tuesday morning (March 16th) at the Bank of America Centre from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. before leaving for Bakersfield in the afternoon. Practice is free and open to the public and media.

TICKETS:

Game tickets for home games are available at the Bank of America Centre, by visiting any Select-A-Seat outlet, by calling 331-TIXS (8497), or by logging on to www.idahotickets.com or www.idahosteelheads.com. With every ticket purchased, fans will receive $1.00 off any 12-pack Pepsi product purchased at Jacksons throughout the season by redeeming any game ticket stub at a participating Jacksons store. Tickets prices start as low as $10 for adults, and $7.00 for youths/seniors.

RADIO:

Join "Voice of the Steelheads," Britt Talbert on ESPN 1350 KTIK every night from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. for the Bud Light Sports Talk Show. Every Monday features Steelheads Head Coach John Olver. Stay tuned on game nights as Britt will bring fans play-by-play live action for all 72 games; Color Commentator Mark Broz joins Britt for home games. Games can also be heard via the Internet through the Steelheads website, www.idahosteelheads.com or by logging on to www.ktik.com.

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics



ECHL Stories from March 15, 2004


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