Sparre nets first Steelheads hat trick this season en route to Idaho victory

Note for Season Ticket Holders: Don?t wait! Renew your season tickets for the 2009-2010 season today. Pay your balance in full prior to April 4, 2009 and receive a 10% discount. Call Will Hoenike at (208) 472-2103 to renew. Interested in becoming a Steelheads season ticket holder? Call a ticket account executive at (208) 383-0080. The Idaho Steelheads (26-15-3) cruised to a 6-1 win over the Stockton Thunder (23-21-5) behind a hat trick from Kris Sparre; the first such feat for a Steelheads player this season. The Steelheads controlled the play in the first period, outshooting the Thunder 14-6. However, both goalies were perfect, as Matt Climie and Bryan Pitton gave fans the impression that a goaltenders? duel would be on tap for the evening. But that would not be the case. However, the second period was far different from the first. Mike LaLonde opened the scoring for Stockton at 0:52 of the second period, with assists going to Ryan MacMurchy and Mark Adamek. The Steelheads then scored the first of a six-goal onslaught, as Kris Sparre netted his first of the evening and 11th of the season with assists going to Matt Stephenson and Trevor Ludwig at 2:43 of the second period. Mark Bomersback redirected a Kory Scoran shot for his 13th of the season under two minutes later; Marty Flichel had the other assist on the goal. At 15:50 of the second, Garett Bembridge scored his 11th of the year assisted by Darrell Hay and Flichel to make the score 3-1. Sparre put the Steelheads up 4-1 in the final minute of the period with his 12th of the season; Matt McKnight found Sparre wide-open in front of the net with Pitton out-of-position. Stephenson also had an assist on the tally. At 8:52 of the third period, Bomersback scored his 14th to put the Steelheads in front 5-1; Flichel and Bembridge had assists on Bomersback?s second of the game. Less than a minute later, Sparre completed the hat-trick with his 13th of the season; McGregor had the assist. Tempers flared in the third period, as four fighting majors were assessed on each side. Picking up fighting majors for Idaho were McGregor, Radke, Bomersback, and Stephenson. Matt Clime stopped 17 of 18 Stockton shots for the win, improving to 16-8-2 on the year. Bryan Pitton suffered the loss, giving up six goals on 36 shots. His record falls to 9-13-2.