Mouillierat's Hat Trick Propels Steelheads to Second Straight Win in Victoria

Kael Mouillierat netted his first professional hat trick- with all three goals coming in the second period- and Tyler Beskorowany stopped 34 pucks as the Idaho Steelheads (4-3-2) took the rubber match of a three-game set with the Victoria Salmon Kings (6-4-0) by a 5-2 score. The win gave Idaho back-to-back victories over the Salmon Kings, both by 5-2 scores. Adam Huxley also earned a ?Gordie Howe Hat Trick? for the Steelheads: a goal, an assist, and a fighting major. John Swanson opened the scoring for the Steelheads on the power play at 8:20 of the first period when he fired a puck home from point blank to beat Victoria netminder David Shantz. Justin Taylor and Mark Derlago assisted on the goal; for Derlago, the assist on Swanson?s third goal of the season extended his point streak to eight games. Just over two minutes later at 10:34 of the first period, Adam Huxley drove home a loose puck from in front of the Salmon Kings? net to give Idaho a 2-0 lead. The goal was Huxley?s first of the season, and like Idaho?s first goal, the tally came on the power play and was assisted by Taylor and Derlago. The Steelheads reached a season-high in shots on goal in a period in the first period, outshooting Victoria 23-6, and besting a previous season-high of 19 shots in a period set back on October 16th. Ryan Turek cut Victoria?s deficit in half with a power play blast from the point that beat Idaho goalie Tyler Beskorowany, and cut Idaho?s lead to 2-1 at 3:31 of the second period. Less than four minutes later, Kael Mouillierat was quick to answer, as he punched a puck home from in front of the net after some tenacious forechecking from his entire line. Mouillierat?s second goal of the season was assisted by Huxley and Cody Purves at 7:20 of the middle frame. At 7:49, Mouillierat scored his second goal in a 29-second span to give Idaho a 4-1 lead on a backhand top-shelf from the front of the net. His third goal of the season- and second of the night- was assisted by Cody Lampl and Matt McKnight on the power play. Mouillierat completed his hat trick at 19:01 of the second period with a rip from the left circle that beat Salmon Kings? goalie David Shantz along the ice. Michael Neal assisted on Mouillierat?s third of the night, and fourth of the season. Kiel McLeod added a goal in the third for Victoria, but the most eventful portion of the third period involved the ejection of Salmon Kings? forward Matt Stefanishion for cross-checking Huxley from behind, and proceeding to need to be restrained by linesmen near the Steelheads? bench. The Steelheads? 5-2 victory was backstopped by goalie Tyler Beskorowany, who stopped 34 of 36 Victoria shots in improving to 4-3-2 on the season. David Shantz stopped 31 of 36, and falls to 3-3-0 on the season. The Steelheads return home to take on their opponents from last Spring?s National Conference Final, the Stockton Thunder, on Wednesday. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:10 PM MST.