Steelheads Hand Victoria First Home Loss

The Idaho Steelheads (3-3-3) scored the final four goals against the Victoria Salmon Kings (6-3-0) on Friday night en route to a 5-2 victory, as the Steelheads handed the Salmon Kings their first home loss of the season. Victoria also saw a four-game winning streak come to a close, as forwards Marty Flichel and John Swanson each scored twice for the Steelheads. P.J. Atherton tucked a puck under the crossbar with Victoria on the power play to give the Salmon Kings their first goal of the night on the power play at 13:18 of the first period. Just 1:04 later, John Swanson streaked up the right side, fired a shot, and was denied by Victoria goalie Daren Machesney. Swanson picked up his own rebound, however, and punched the puck over the goal line to the game at 1-1. Cody Purves assisted on Swanson?s first goal of the season. Rick Cleaver scored his second goal in as many games for Victoria to regain a lead for the Salmon Kings at 5:53 of the second period when he took a pass in the right circle from Milan Gajic and one-timed the puck into the goal before Idaho goalie Tyler Beskorowany could move from post-to-post. With Victoria on top 2-1, Swanson answered again for the Steelheads as he launched a wrist shot along the ice from the left boards that beat Machesney. Mike Gabinet assisted on Swanson?s second goal of the game, and second of the season. After turning the puck over to Matt Tassone of the Steelheads, defenseman Ryan Turek of the Salmon Kings regained possession, marched up the ice, and for the second time in the same shift, turned the puck over to Tassone, which sent the Steelheads rookie on a breakaway. Tassone, who ranked among the ECHL rookie leaders in shots on net entering the game, deked Machesney and scored his first professional goal at 12:52 of the third. The goal was unassisted, and proved to be the game-winner. Marty Flichel iced the game with a pair of power play goals in the third period, which gives him four goals on the season. Cody Lampl assisted on each one, with Mark Derlago and Kael Mouillierat also gathering third period assists on the goals that each came via point shots. The assist extends Derlago?s point streak to seven games. Beskorowany earned the win in net for Idaho, as he turned away 30 of 32 Victoria shots; his record improves to 3-2-2. Machesney, making his first start for Victoria after returning from the injured reserve list, stopped 19 of 24 Steelheads shots and is now 0-1-0. The Steelheads and Salmon Kings will play the rubber game of the three-game set tomorrow night in Victoria, with the puck dropping at 8:05 PM MST. The Steelheads return to Qwest Arena on November 10, 12, and 13 for home dates with the Stockton Thunder.