Steelheads Swept on Weekend Trip to Las Vegas

The Idaho Steelheads (11-7-5) fell behind in the first five minutes and the Las Vegas Wranglers (13-4-2) never looked back as Vegas skated to a 6-3 win over the Idaho Steelheads, sweeping the Steelheads on the weekend two-game series. The Steelheads loss came on the same night as another former Steelhead?s gain: Richard Bachman, who won 22 games in net for Idaho in the 2009-10 season, made his National Hockey League debut for the Dallas Stars. Bachman stopped all four shots he faced in 10 minutes of relief in Dallas? 5-2 loss in Phoenix. Jamie Bates scored the game?s first goal at 4:46 of the first when he snapped a wrist shot from the slot into the Idaho goal; the goal gave the Wranglers a 1-0 lead on the power play. The Wranglers had seven man-advantages in the first period. Blair Riley and Tyler Moskienko each scored in the first seven minutes of the second period to give the Wranglers a 3-0 lead, but Idaho answered when Mark Derlago scored his 13th of the season on the power play at 7:24 to cut the Vegas lead to 2-1. Derlago scored as he cut the puck to the front of the net, wristing a forehand shot by the Vegas goalie Michael Ouzas. Just 29 seconds later, Cody Purves scored his first professional goal for the Steelheads as he received a pass from the right wing corner and tipped the puck upstairs to cut the Wranglers? lead to 3-2. At 11:35, the Wranglers extended their lead to 4-2 when Craig Switzer found the back of the net; the scored stayed the same into the second intermission. Guillaume Monast scored for the Steelheads at 3:30 of the third period to pull Idaho to within a goal; his wrist shot from the top of the right circle made the score 4-3. However, the Wranglers scored the game?s final two goals en route to the 6-3 win and series sweep of Idaho. Jase Weslosky turned away 21 of 26 shots in the Idaho net and fell to 1-1-0. Michael Ouzas is 9-1-1 for Las Vegas; he stopped 19 of 22. Idaho returns home for two games at Qwest Arena this week. The team will host the Victoria Salmon Kings on the 15th and 17th of December.