Steelheads Stunned By RoadRunners In Overtime

Despite a 3-0 lead midway through the contest and a two-goal advantage heading into the third period the Steelheads failed to hang on, as Gino Guyer scored with 40 seconds left in overtime to shock a sold out crowd of 5,323 and lift the visiting RoadRunners to a 5-4 overtime victory from Qwest Arena on Friday night.The Steelheads (27-16-8) held a 4-3 advantage until the RoadRunners (18-26-6) tied the match with 0.1 seconds left on the clock, when Daniel Sisca?s shot rang off the crossbar before glancing off the left pad of Steelheads? goaltender Matt Zaba (31 saves) and then bouncing off the near post and over the goal line.Then in overtime, defenseman Bryan Nathe lifted an aerial pass for Guyer, who was driving towards the post to the right of Zaba. The pass bounced off Nathe?s foot and into the back of the net to complete the improbable win. Taylor Christie got the second assist.Early in the first period Lance Galbraith took John Lammers? pass and skated into the slot before snapping a shot past the blocker side of RoadRunners? goaltender David McKee (40 saves) for a 1-0 advantage at the 3:41 mark.Galbraith?s 17th was the only tally for either side through 20 minutes, while the shots favored the Steelheads 13-6.Just 46 seconds into the second period Lammers potted a goal for the fifth straight game, his 13th overall in just 15 games to give the Steelheads a 2-0 lead. The power play goal was set up by Marty Flichel and Galbraith.It became 3-0 at the 7:13 mark of the frame when Flichel blasted a shot over the glove of McKee for his 13th of the year. Lammers earned his third point of the night on the play, grabbing the only assist on the five-on-three power play goal.However, the RoadRunners chipped away late in the second stanza, with Sean O?Connor and Nathe tallying just over five minutes apart to make it 3-2. But on the shift following Nathe?s marker, Taggart Desmet smacked home Colin Sinclair?s feed from the crease for his team-leading 18th of the season to give the Steelheads some breathing room heading into the second intermission. Andrew Martin recorded the second assist, his first point with his new club.O?Connor made it 4-3 with 4:33 left in regulation, when he banged a rebound past Zaba for his 20th of the campaign. Defensemen Regan Rome and Ian Turner drew the helpers. That goal set the stage for Sisca?s game-tying goal which led to overtime and Guyer?s first game-winner of the season.The final shots favored the Steelheads 44-36, with the 44 shots tying a season-high. Twenty-two of the home team?s chances came in the second period, which also ties a season best. The overtime loss drops Zaba to 6-1-1 with the Steelheads and 9-5-2 on the season, while McKee has won both games of the series thus far to improve to 6-8-3. For the contest there were 14 combined power play chances, with both teams converting once.The Steelheads wrap up their series with the RoadRunners on Saturday, February 16. The puck drops at 7:10 p.m. MST. All the action can be heard live on 1350 AM, KTIK ?The Ticket? or via the B2 Networks. Don?t forget, Steelheads? single-game tickets can be purchased via www.idahosteelheads.com (using the print-at-home feature), by calling 331-TIXS or from the Qwest Arena box office.