Steelheads Fall 5-1 To Oilers In Final Game Of Homestand

BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho Steelheads (33-18-4) slipped 5-1 the Tulsa Oilers (31-20-6) on Saturday night from CenturyLink Arena in front of 5,259 fans, which is the 12th sellout of the season. The Steelheads finish the homestand with a 4-1-1 record.

The Oilers netted the game’s opening goal at 10:51 of the first period thanks to forward Ryan Tesink off a turnover to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Another offensive opportunity was created at 15:56 for a goal by forward Adam Pleskach to double the advantage, 2-0. The Steelheads looked for a momentum shift heading into the intermission, and forward Elgin Pearce delivered after a turnover by forward Steve McParland at 19:55 to finish the first period with a 2-1 differential.

After a second period highlighted by strong goaltending and defensive zone coverage by the Steelheads, the Oilers broke through with three more goals. At 15:14, Oilers defenseman Eric Drapluk created insurance with a 3-1 lead on the power play. The Oilers added two more goals in the final two minutes with Pleskach at 18:40 into an empty net then Tesink at 19:07, finishing the game with a 5-1 result.

Oilers goaltender Keegan Asmundson (3-6-1) stopped 23 of 24 shots in the win, while Steelheads netminder Ryan Faragher (7-5-2) saved 35 of 39 shots in the loss.

The Steelheads head to Silverstein Eye Centers Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 6:05 p.m. to open a three-game weekend against the Kansas City Mavericks. Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on 1350AM KTIK and ECHL.TV.The Steelheads return to CenturyLink Arena on Wednesday, Mar. 6 at 7:10 p.m. against the Wichita Thunder. Single-game tickets and season ticket packages are on sale, with full-season packages starting as low as $300 per seat. Contact the Idaho Steelheads at 208-383-0080 for more information or log on to idahosteelheads.com.