Steelheads add strength to blue line

(Boise, ID) ? Defenseman Matt Case, acquired in a mid-season trade, has signed on for another season with the ECHL?s Idaho Steelheads. Case came to Idaho from the Gwinnett Gladiators in exchange for forward John-Scott Dickson in mid-January. In 31 games with Idaho, he scored one goal and added six assists with 18 penalty minutes. His plus-5 plus/minus rating was second-best among Idaho defensemen. He had one assist in nine playoff games and handed out numerous big hits to opposing forwards trying to operate in Idaho?s defensive zone. ?Matt is an important signing,? Head Coach and director of hockey operations Hardy Sauter said. ?He proved down the stretch last season that he can handle big minutes for us and he?ll be asked to play in every situation this season, along with being a leader in the locker room.? The sturdy, 200-pound blue-liner played his college hockey at Ferris State (MI), scoring ten goals and adding 37 assists in four seasons. While at Ferris State, he played alongside former Steelheads Mark Bomersback, Adam Welch and Jeremy Scherlinck. He skated in two games with Norfolk of the American Hockey League after wrapping up his college career before landing in Gwinnett to begin the 2010-2011 campaign. He?s the third defenseman to be added to Sauter?s training-camp roster, joining returnee Chris Hepp and rookie Matt Cowie. Forwards Cody Purves, Chad Nehring, Tyson Hobbins, and Eric Rex have also secured spots in Idaho?s training camp this fall. Steelhead Season-Ticket Holders get six games FREE when they sign up for full-season packages. Plans for all 36 home games start at just $275 per seat. Partial-season plans are also available. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 for more information.