Steelheads Score Six Unanswered, Win Fourth Straight

Mark Derlago and Michael Neal each scored twice and Kael Mouillierat tallied three points as the Idaho Steelheads (9-4-5) earned their fourth straight win in topping the Victoria Salmon Kings (9-11-0) by a 6-3 score in Victoria. The Steelheads completed a three-game sweep of the Salmon Kings for the week, and have now won five consecutive games at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre. Matt Siddall started the scoring for Victoria, as he scored the game?s first two goals to give the Salmon Kings a 2-0 lead. His first of the night came when he received a pass in the slot and fired a low shot that beat Idaho goalie Mike Zacharias; his second crossed the goal line by way of a wrist shot from the left wing circle. The Steelheads answered at 18:00 of the first period when Michael Neal snapped home the rebound from a John Swanson point shot for his third goal of the season. Swanson and Tristan King assisted on Neal?s rebound goal that cut Victoria?s lead to 2-1. The Steelheads vaulted into the lead with four goals in the second period; the first of which tied the game at 2-2 when Mark Derlago swatted home a puck from the front of the Victoria goal on the power play with assists going to Kael Mouillierat and Marty Flichel. The goal was the 10th of the season for Derlago at 0:41. At 2:17 of the second period, Mouillierat gave Idaho the 3-2 lead when he punched a puck home from the doorstep on the power play with Swanson and Derlago gathering assists. The goal was the 10th of the season for Mouillierat. Derlago tipped home a Mouillierat wrist shot from the right side for his second of the game and 11th of the season at 6:49 of the second period to extend Idaho?s lead to 4-2; Guillaume Monast picked up an assist on Idaho?s fourth goal of the game. With 38 seconds remaining in the second period, Matt Tassone received a pass from Cody Purves and drove the puck into the goal. King gathered his second assist of the game on Tassone?s second goal of the season. Mike Zacharias stopped 36 of 39 shots in the victory for Idaho; he is 5-1-2 in net for the Steelheads. Daren Machesney stopped 22 of 28 shots for the Salmon Kings; he is 1-4-0. Next up for the Steelheads: the Alaska Aces. Idaho welcomes its longtime rival to Qwest Arena December 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.