Silverthorn's Return Helps Steelheads To Win Over Thunder

Aaron Gagnon scored the game-winning goal early in the third period lifting the Steelheads to their fourth straight win, a 4-3 victory over the Thunder in front of 6,889 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday night.The Steelheads? (38-22-9) second, four-game winning streak of the season has all come at the expense of the Thunder (25-39-3), who have lost six in a row. The win, the club?s 17th away from home, also moved them into a share of a three-way tie for first place in the West Division with the Aces and Salmon Kings. At the 5:33 mark of the first period Marty Flichel buried a one-timer from the high slot, his 19th of the year, giving the Steelheads a 1-0 lead. Lance Galbraith and Darrell Hay set up the even-strength marker, the only goal for either side in the opening period.Former Steelhead Tim Verbeek tied the game at one just 2:08 into the second period, as he took Geoff Paukovich?s centering feed from behind the cage of Steve Silvethorn (15 saves) and snapped the puck into the top shelf for his sixth of the campaign and his second against the defending champions. L.P. Lachance picked up the second assist.Mike Sullivan then buried the first of two consecutive goals for the visitors to help them take a 3-1 lead. Sullivan?s 13th marker came off passes by Craig Cescon and Colin Sinclair at the 10:20 mark. Just over eighty seconds later Mark Bomersback netted his 17th in 32 games and just his first road goal to give the Steelheads a two-goal advantage. The Thunder rallied to tie the game before the second intermission grabbing two goals by Ryan MacMurchy. Brandon Schwartz and Tom Zanoski were credited with the helpers on MacMurchy?s even-strength marker at 12:28, while David Rohlfs and Brian Lee set up his shorthanded tally, his 21st of the campaign.Through two periods the shots favored the Steelheads 20-14.Gagnon?s seventh of the season at 5:10 of the third period proved to be his second difference maker, with Desmet and Bomersback registering the assists on the right circle snap shot that beat Tim Boron (19 saves) cleanly. The final shots favored the Steelheads 23-18. Both teams failed to score on the power play in seven combined chances. Silverthorn, playing in his first game with the Steelheads since January 5, is now 7-3-2 against the Thunder lifetime and 9-7-4 in the ECHL this season. With the loss, Boron dropped to 11-16-2.The Steelheads play their final regular season road game against the Fresno Falcons on Saturday, March 29. The puck drops at 8:10 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.