NORFOLK, Va. – The Idaho Steelheads (15-9-5) tallied late to break the deadlock and stood tall defensively, shutting down the Norfolk Admirals (9-16-3) in a 2-0 win on Wednesday night from Norfolk Scope.
The Steelheads and Admirals were scoreless in the first two periods of the game, however the Steelheads built up offensive energy and momentum as the game went on, increasing their shot differential each frame before the third period saw a full stop gap to most Admirals attempts to counter.
After an early goal was waived away, the Steelheads kept up the pressure until finally they broke through. At 15:48, Steelheads defenseman Ondrej Vala stepped up into the slot during a loose puck scramble to flick a shot through a seam and get the first tally on the board, 1-0. The Admirals pulled their goaltender minutes later, and forward Will Merchant buried the empty net goal at 19:05 to extend his goal streak to three games and ensure the victory at a 2-0 scoreline. Forward A.J. White also extends his point streak to six games while assisting the empty net goal.
Steelheads netminder Tomas Sholl (11-4-4) earns his ninth-career shutout in a 21-save effort during the win, while Admirals goaltender Brandon Halverson (5-9-3) denied 41 of 42 shots in the loss.
The Steelheads and Admirals meet again on Friday, Dec. 20 at 5:30 p.m. MT from Norfolk Scope. Coverage begins at 5:10 p.m. on 1350 KTIK “The Ticket” and ECHL.tv.
The Steelheads return to CenturyLink Arena on Friday, Dec. 27 at 7:10 p.m. against the Allen Americans. Call the Steelheads Front Office at 208-383-0080 to plan your seats for this season, including single-game, flex plans and season tickets. Stay connected to the Steelheads on idahosteelheads.com or by following the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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