Idaho can't summon third-period rally

Las Vegas, NV (2/15/13) - Judd Blackwater had three points, including a big insurance goal with less than four minutes to play as the Las Vegas Wranglers held off the Idaho Steelheads, 4-2, on Friday night. Idaho falls to 32-15-5 on the season with its second consecutive loss. Meanwhile, the hot Wranglers have now won nine straight games. Las Vegas scored four minutes into the opening frame when Nolan Julseth-White's blue line shot snuck over the shoulder of Tyler Beskorowany, making it 1-0. The Steelheads would tie it up on a tremendous individual effort by rookie Bryce Reddick. Carrying the puck in one-on-three, the former Wrangler tried to dump the puck deep. It bounced off a current Wranglers and right back onto Reddick's tape and Reddick quickly snapped a backhand over Joe Fallon's shoulder at 10:06 of the first to tie the game at a goal apiece. The goal was Reddick's second of the season. The Wranglers scored twice in the opening five minutes of the second. First, Sean Wiles netted a rare power-play tally just 44 seconds into the second - Las Vegas entered the game with the worst power-play conversion percentage in the ECHL - and then Eric Lampe converted on a two-on-one rush at 4:44 to make it 3-1 in favor of the Wranglers. The Steelheads were unable to muster much offensively in the second period, trailing by two entering the third. Idaho crept closer miday through the third when David deKastrozza back-handed a rebound off a Scott Todd shot past Fallon at 8:04 to cut the Wrangler lead to 3-2 but, with four minutes left, Judd Blackwater won a skate race down the right-hand wing to come in clean on Beskorowany, scoring on the forehand for the insurance goal that sealed the win for the Wranglers. Fallon was the winner in net, stopping 22 of 24 Idaho shots. Beskorowany stopped 19 of 23 in the loss as Idaho wound up out-shooting the Wranglers, 24-23. Idaho did not score on the power play, snapping a streak of 11 straight games with at least one power-play goal. The Steelheads travel into southern California overnight for a Saturday-night contest against the Pacific-Division-leading Ontario Reign. The puck drops at 7:05 (Mtn) with the St. Luke's Pre-Game show beginning on KTIK (1350 AM) at 6:50 PM. The Steelheads return home on Friday, February 22, to face the San Francisco Bulls at CenturyLink Arena. 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 - Bryce Reddick CENTURYLINK THREE STARS: 1) Judd Blackwater (LV) 2) Nolan Julseth-White (LV) 3) Eric Lampe (LV) 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.