Boise, ID (10/10/14) – Utah scored twice on a five-minute, major power play opportunity that bridged the first and second periods and made it stand up, defeating the Idaho Steelheads, 3-1, in the annual “Season Ticket Holder Only Game” at CenturyLink Arena.
Idaho out-shot Utah, 29-11, over the final two periods but could not cash in on numerous scoring opportunities until Jesse Root deflected a Mike Dalhuisen point shot past Grizzlies goaltender Etienne Marcoux at the 18:30 mark of the third period. Utah added an empty-net goal one minute later to seal the victory.
Idaho was whistled for a five-minute boarding penalty late in the first period. On the ensuing man-advantage, a Utah shot deflected off of TJ Syner inside the final 30 seconds of the first and into the net. Then, just 47 seconds into the second, Vincent Scarcella finished a nice, cross-ice feed to make it 2-0 in favor of the visitors. Despite leaving several rebounds in scoring areas, Marcoux was able to hold Idaho off the scoreboard until the waning moments.
Olivier Roy stopped 16 of 18 shots in his first appearance with the Steelheads. Marcoux managed to fight off 37 of 38 Idaho shots to pick up the win.
The Steelheads' power-play unit finished the night 0-6, while Utah’s was 2-5.
Idaho and Utah conclude their respective pre-season play on Saturday with another head-to-head matchup at the Eccles Ice Arena in Logan, Utah. Game time is 7 PM.
The two teams will meet again next week to open the ECHL regular season, beginning in Utah on Friday, October 17, before returning to CenturyLink Arena on Saturday, October 18, for the home opener. Tickets are available at the CenturyLink Arena box office, online or by calling 331-8497.
COORS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME – Jesse Root
CENTURYLINK THREE STARS:1) Jesse Root (ID)2) Gaelan Patterson (ID)3) Levi Nelson (ID)
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.
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