Steelheads Sweep Grizzlies, Advance to Conference Final

With a 4-1 win in Utah, the Idaho Steelheads completed a second-round sweep of the Utah Grizzlies and punched a ticket to the National Conference Final, which will begin at Qwest Arena on Friday night. Mark McCutcheon led the way for Idaho with a goal and two assists in the series-clinching victory. Mark McCutcheon opened the scoring for Idaho when he tapped home a rebound at 9:50 of the first period. Marty Flichel?s backhand attempt was denied by Utah?s Mike Morrison, but McCutcheon?s rebound attempt went into the net for McCutcheon?s third of the playoffs. Mark Derlago also assisted on the goal. Just over two minutes later at 11:51, Evan Barlow netted his third of the playoffs on the power play when his former college teammate McCutcheon found him open in front of the net. With Morrison out-of-position, Barlow did not miss, and Idaho took a 2-0 lead. Flichel also assisted on the tally. With eight seconds remaining in the period, McCutcheon and Brandan Kushniruk, playing in his first game of the playoffs, scooted down the ice two-on-one, and McCutcheon placed a pass precisely on the tape of Kushniruk. The former Princeton star sent the puck upstairs on Morrison, giving Idaho a 3-0 lead with his first of the playoffs. Idaho added one goal in the second period when Kevin DeVergilio fluttered a shot from the left circle toward the goal that was tipped by Matt McKnight into the Utah net at 5:02. The goal was McKnight?s third of the playoffs, and was also assisted by Dustin Friesen. The Grizzlies managed the only goal of the third period, as Tom May took a pass from James Sixsmith and one-timed a shot from the left circle to break Richard Bachman?s shutout at 11:15. Richard Bachman improved to 4-0-0 in the playoffs, stopping 32 of 33 shots. Mike Morrison turned away 23 of 27 in the Utah net; he finishes the postseason with a record of 1-5-0. The Steelheads will begin the National Conference Final at Qwest Arena on April 30th, and will take on either Stockton or Bakersfield.