Steelheads Earn Third Straight Win, Never Trail in Victoria

Adam Huxley?s ?Gordie Howe Hat Trick?- a goal, assist, and fight- helped propel the Idaho Steelheads (8-4-5) to a 6-4 victory over the Victoria Salmon Kings (9-10-0) in Victoria Friday night. With Mark Derlago and Kael Mouillierat each scoring for Idaho and veteran captain Marty Flichel scoring twice, the Steelheads currently have a three-way tie for the team goal scoring lead as each member of the trio has nine markers on the season. Kael Mouillierat opened the scoring for the Steelheads as he netted his ninth of the season with a backhand along the ice from the front of the goal at 3:32 of the opening period; Mark Derlago and Weston Tardy assisted on Mouillierat?s goal, which gave Idaho a 1-0 lead. At 12:44 of the first period, Mark Derlago received a pass in front of the net from Marty Flichel, and Derlago deked to his backhand before flipping a puck behind Victoria goalie David Shantz to extend Idaho?s lead to 2-0 on the power play. Mike Gabinet, as well as Flichel, earned assists on Derlago?s ninth of the season. Geoff Waugh eventually found the back of the net for Victoria on a point shot through traffic to cut Idaho?s lead to 2-1 at 18:54 of the first period. Early in the second period, Salmon Kings defenseman and Vancouver Canucks prospect Yann Sauve turned the puck over between the circles in the Victoria defensive zone, and Steelheads center Tristan King quickly snapped a wrist shot into the Victoria net to regain a two-goal lead for Idaho and extend the score to 3-1 at 1:29 of the second period; Adam Huxley assisted on King?s first ECHL goal. Just 10 seconds later, Flichel moved Idaho?s lead to 4-1 when he darted in on a breakaway and launched a puck into the top corner of the Victoria net for his eighth of the season; Matt Tassone and Cody Lampl assisted on Flichel?s first goal of the night. P.J. Atherton answered for Victoria and cut Idaho?s lead to 4-2 when he took a pass in the slot and punched a backhand shot behind Idaho goalie Mike Zacharias at 1:56 of the second period. The three combined goals in 27 seconds were one second off the all-time ECHL record for the fastest combined three goals. At 16:45 of the second period, Matt Siddall netted another Victoria goal that sent the teams to the dressing room with Idaho leading 4-3 after two periods. Flichel punched home a bouncing puck from the front of the Salmon Kings goal at 5:44 of the third period to give Idaho a 5-3 lead; Flichel?s second of the game and ninth of the season was assisted by Tardy and John Swanson. Atherton answered for Victoria once again at 13:16 of the third period, but just over four minutes later Huxley received a pass in the slot from Kael Mouillierat on a two-on-one break and fired a puck into the upper-half of the Victoria net to ice tonight?s game and secure the 6-4 Idaho win. Zacharias stopped 26 of 30 shots in the Idaho net and is now 4-1-2 with the win. Shantz stopped 20 of 26 Idaho shots and falls to 5-7-0 with the loss. Idaho and Victoria will finish the three-game set Saturday night. Idaho returns home to take on the Alaska Aces at Qwest Arena on December 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.