Idaho escapes Utah with 5-3 win

West Valley City, UT (1/21/13) - Tyler Beskorowany turned in a 50-save outing Monday afternoon and Tyler Gron scored twice as the Idaho Steelheads rode out of town with a 5-3 win over the Utah Grizzlies. Idaho improves to 25-10-5 going into the ECHL All-Star Break in a win despite being out-shot 53-24 in the game. The Steelheads would draw first blood when Austin Fyten deflected a James Isaacs point shot past Utah's Shane Owen at 7:49 of the first period to make it 1-0. Fyten's 12th extended gives him 26 points in his last 21 games. Utah would tie things up on a goal-mouth scramble tally from Gaelen Patterson at 12:07 but Idaho took the lead back in the closing seconds of the first period when Tyler Gron forced a neutral-zone turnover and carried the puck in on a breakaway, beating Owen low, inside the post, with his third of the season at 19:47 to make it 2-1 after one period. Utah would tie it up early in the second on an Evan Stoflet goal and the Grizzlies seemed primed for a big period, constantly pressuring the Idaho net. But Beskorowany came up big time and time again, denying Utah's attacks. The Steelheads would get just five shots on goal in the second period, but two of them found the back of the net. First, it was Ian Watters finishing a Matt Case long pass from the point at 6:23 of the second to make it 3-2. Then, at 9:51, Gron struck again, getting the puck in the left corner, walking in the goal line, and stuffing the puck past Owen on top of the crease to make it 4-2. Thanks to a sea of Beskorowany stops - including a short-handed breakaway save on ECHL All Star Mitch Wahl midway through the third - the score remained 4-2 deep into the third period. Adam Estoclet gave Utah hope with 27 seconds left in the game with a tally, but Idaho was able to snuff out the final Grizzlies rally and added an empty-net goal from David deKastrozza with less than five seconds to play to secure the victory. Beskorowany was brilliant in the win, stopping 50 of 53, becoming the first goaltender other than Jerry Kuhn to make 50 saves in a game for the Idaho Steelheads. Shane Owen took the loss for Utah. Idaho was 0-3 on the power play while Utah went 1-4. The Steelheads will take the next three days off for the ECHL All-Star break. Forward Austin Fyten will represent Idaho in the 2013 All-Star Game, being played Wednesday, January 23, at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, CO. The game will be broadcast live on Altitude TV (681 DirecTV) starting at 7 PM. Idaho returns to the ice on Friday in Charleson, SC, for a matchup against the South Carolina Stingrays at 5 PM (Mtn). The team returns home on February 6 against the Utah Grizzlies. Tickets are available by calling the CenturyLink Arena box office at 208.331.8497 or by going online at www.idahosteelheads.com COORS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME - Tyler Gron CENTURYLINK THREE STARS: 1) Tyler Beskorowany (ID) 2) Tyler Gron (ID) 3) Evan Stoflet (UT) Group outings at a Steelheads game are a great way to gather friends, colleagues, or co-workers for a fun night out in downtown Boise. Ticket prices are discounted and you can get a Pepsi, Double-R Ranch Hot Dog, and bag of Tim?s Cascade Chips with each ticket. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 or log on to www.idahosteelheads.com for more information.