Rome's Nets Hat Trick; Steelheads Top Stockton

The Idaho Steelheads (16-3-1) improved to 9-0-0 against the Stockton Thunder (5-11-3) this season with a 5-1 victory at Stockton Arena. Ashton Rome netted a hat trick in the victory, and rookie netminder Richard Bachman stopped 27 shots en route to his ninth win of the season. With the win, the Steelheads finish the road portion of the season series with a perfect record of 6-0-0. The Steelheads opened the scoring with their first shorthanded tally of the season at 4:55 of the first period. Ashton Rome beat Stockton defenseman Daryl Marcoux in a one-on-one, deked netminder Bryan Pitton, and scored his ninth of the season, unassisted. At 9:05 of the first, Judd Blackwater scored his ninth of the season for Stockton from the top of the crease, sliding the puck by Idaho goalie Richard Bachman. Before the period could close, Evan Barlow netted his tenth of the season at 15:49. Weston Tardy?s point shot sat in front, Mathieu Tousignant was unsuccessful in a rebound attempt, and Barlow fired home the second rebound for the go-ahead tally. The Steelheads found the back of the net once in the second period when Mathieu Tousignant scored at 16:44, assisted by Mark Derlago. The goal was the sixth of the season for Tousignant. In the third period, Ashton Rome buried two goals to secure the hat trick. The first came on a penalty shot at 14:28 after Rome was hauled down on a breakaway by Stockton defenseman Matt O?Dette at 14:28 of the final frame. The Steelheads were shorthanded when Rome attempted the penalty shot, so the goal goes in the books at Rome?s second shorthanded goal in the game. Rome completed the hat trick and finished the scoring the game with a power play goal at 17:45 of the final frame, with assists going to Brendan Milnamow and Weston Tardy. Rome now leads the Steelheads with 11 goals on the season. Richard Bachman stopped 27 of 28 shots to preserve the win for the Steelheads; he is now 9-2-1 in net for Idaho. Bryan Pitton stopped 36 of 41 Steelheads shots in a losing effort for Stockton, and now carries a record of 1-7-1. The Steelheads are in action again on December 3rd at Qwest Arena when they take on the Alaska Aces. The puck drops at 7:10 PM MST.