BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho Steelheads (31-17-7) scored early and stood strong both physically and defensively, taking down the Rapid City Rush (27-22-6) in a 3-1 win on Saturday night from CenturyLink Arena in front of 5,216 fans, the ninth-straight sellout and 15th overall of the season.
A physical first period led to late scoring, and the Steelheads got off the hop with the opening tallies. On their first power play at 14:16, Steelheads forward Jonathan Charbonneau took a blue line slap shot that found twine, breaking his scoreless drought with the Steelheads and harnessing the 1-0 lead. Exactly three minutes and thirty seconds later at 17:46, Steelheads forward Kyle Schempp won an offensive zone draw to defenseman Ondrej Vala, and his shot was deflected by Schempp into the net for the 2-0 lead.
The Steelheads padded their lead early in the second period to continue their built-up momentum. At 3:37, another shot by Vala at the left point finds a deflection, this time from forward Brett Supinski in the mid-slot, to direct pass the netminder, stretching the lead to 3-0. However, the Rush got one back to answer with a tip of their own by forward Stephane Legault at 7:18 to come back within two, 3-1.
Both the Steelheads and Rush earned their chances in the third period, but the goaltenders stood tall to hold off any other chances. The physical play the Steelheads showcased and their early scoring proved to be the difference in the final 3-1 scoreline.
Steelheads goaltender Tomas Sholl (25-8-5) denied 26 of 27 shots in the win, while Rush netminder Alex Sakellaropoulos (6-11-0) stopped 28 of 31 shots in the loss.
The Steelheads open a three-game weekend against the rival Utah Grizzlies on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:10 p.m. from CenturyLink Arena. Tickets are available by calling 208-331-TIXS(8497) or going to idahosteelheads.com. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on 1350 KTIK-AM “The Ticket” as well as 7:00 p.m. on Sparklight Ch. 72 & ECHL.tv.
The Hockey Starter Pack provides the benefits of the ultimate fan on the time you want! Call the Steelheads Front Office at 208-383-0080 to inquire about getting your pack as well as planning your next outing with single-game tickets, 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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