Steelheads snap 3-game skid with win in Victoria

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? Secure your seat for the 2009-2010 season and get a seat for the remaining 08-09 regular season home games FREE! Call a ticket account executive at 383-0080 for more information. The Idaho Steelheads (37-21-4) won 4-3 in their first game in Victoria this season, defeating the Salmon Kings (34-24-7) in a shootout in front of 5,296 fans at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre. The Salmon Kings opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game as Wes Goldie netted a shorthanded goal for Victoria. The Steelheads answered back at 14:53 when Bryan McGregor forced Victoria goalie Julien Ellis to commit, and beat Ellis top-shelf. Travis Wight and Brandon Svendsen tallied the assists on McGregor?s 24th of the season. The assist was the first professional point for Svendsen. Less than three minutes later, however, Brady Leavold added another shorthanded goal for Victoria to put the Salmon Kings ahead by one. The Steelheads have now given up more than one shorthanded goal only twice this season; the other time being November 15, 2008 in Las Vegas. Before the period could close, however, Kris Sparre tied the game at 2-2 with his 16th of the season, assisted by Matt McKnight and Garett Bembridge. Adam Taylor scored the only goal of the second period with less than two minutes to go in the frame to put the Salmon Kings up by a goal heading into the third. The game remained 3-2 in Victoria?s favor until the final minute when, with Idaho?s Matt Climie pulled for an extra attacker, Svendson scored his first career goal to tie the game. Sparre and McGregor picked up the assists. With the game tied 3-3, overtime would not do the trick. In the shootout, Bembridge, Svendsen, and Sparre scored for Idaho to secure the win for the Steelheads. Climie stopped 29 of 32, and remained perfect in shootouts this season; his record improved to 23-11-1 overall. Julien Ellis stopped 30 of 33 for Victoria; his record fell to 9-7-4. The Steelheads and Salmon Kings are back in action Friday night in Victoria.