Idaho season ends in another dramatic affair

Stockton, CA (5/11/13) - Olivier Roy once again stole the show, stopping 44 of 45 shots, as the Stockton Thunder defeated the Idaho Steelheads, 2-1, to win the ECHL Western Conference finals. The Thunder won the best of seven series, four games to one. Four of the five games were decided by one goal, two in overtime. Stockton advances despite being out-shot by the Steelheads 45-28 in Game 5. The Thunder advance to face the Reading Royals in the ECHL Kelly Cup Finals. The Steelheads came out firing in the first, getting 10 of the first 11 shots of the game but Roy stymied each shot. Idaho out-worked the Thunder throughout the first period, generating shot after shot - 18 in all - in an attempt to keep its season alive. Stockton got a two-on-one rush late in the period and Ryan Hayes scored on his own rebound at 16:50 of the 1st to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead after one period. Idaho tied it early in the second period as Patrick Cullity's shot from the top of the right circle was saved by Roy but the rebound danced right to Tyler Gron. Gron quickly knocked home his 8th of the playoffs at 4:39 of the second to tie the game at 1-1. That score held until the final two minutes of the second when a long Stockton pass headed into the Idaho zone. Josh Robinson hustled out of his crease to try to steer the puck away from a hard-charging Andrew Clark, but the puck bounced past Robinson's stick near the hashmarks. Clark chased the loose puck down at the left edge of the crease and wrapped around behind the net, tucking the puck into the net before a sprawling Robinson or Cullity could get into the crease. With one period between themselves and the offseason, the Steelheads dug deep with another strong period, out-shooting the Thunder, 13-4, over the final twenty minutes. But again it was Roy, denying Rylan Galiardi twice at point-blank range, turning aside Gron and Austin Smith, and making a glove save on Jace Coyle to allow the Thunder to once again sneak away with a one-goal win. Roy was the winner while Robinson took the loss, stopping 26 of 28 in the final game of the season. Over the final three games of the conference finals, Robinson stopped 99 of 105 shots, a .943 save percentage. Neither team scored on the power play, both going 0-3. Idaho ended the season by stopping 31 of the last 32 power plays it faced. COORS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME - Tyler Gron CENTURYLINK THREE STARS: 1) Olivier Roy (STK) 2) Andrew Clark (STK) 3) Ryan Hayes (STK) Season Tickets for the 2013-14 season are already on sale! After finishing the regular season with 45 wins and nearly 100 points in the standings, you won?t want to miss any of the action next season when the Steelheads take the ice. Full-season packages begin at as little as $275 per seat. Partial-season packages are available as well. Contact the team?s front office at 208-383-0080 and ask to speak to an account executive today!