RASSELL AND BECKER EACH SCORE TWICE IN 5-4 LOSS

RASSELL AND BECKER EACH SCORE TWICE IN 5-4 LOSS  

ALLEN, TX – The Idaho Steelheads (22-7-0-1, 45pts) fell to the Allen Americans (11-17-1-0, 25pts) by a final score of 5-4 Sunday night in front of 4,031 at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. Idaho will open up a season long six-game home-stand beginning Wednesday night vs. the Reading Royals at 7:10 p.m. (MT).  

Idaho trailed 3-0 after the first 20 minutes of play as Hank Crone scored a pair of goals and Blake Murray factored in with one. Crone scored his first at 3:30 and then Murray made it 2-0 a minute later. Crone’s second of the period came with 2:18 left in the frame. Shots were even at 12 a piece. 

Brandon Puricelli scored 3:54 into the second period making it 4-0 and then Gavin Gould lifted the Americans lead to 5-0 at 7:33 on a short-handed goal. At 9:14 Mark Rassell (21^st) tucked the puck past the left toe of Leevi Merilainen from the far side of the goal line on an assist from Wade Murphy and Patrick Kudla. Jack Becker (11^th) cut the Idaho deficit down to three with a tip in front after he won the face-off Murphy fed Kudla at the point where he sent a wrist shot towards Merilainen. Idaho trailed 5-2 after 40 minutes of play outshooting Allen 20-14 in the period.

Becker (12^th) scored his second of the game this time on the power-play at 8:22 as Francesco Arcuri fed Keaton Mastrodonato in the left circle. From there Mastrodonato fed Becker on the near side of the goal line where he cut to the net and tucked the puck home in the right corner. Rassell (22^nd) grabbed his second of the game as Kudla fed Ty Pelton-Byce in the right circle. From there Pelton-Byce he fed Rassell at the near side of the crease where he pulled the puck to his forehand and popped it home but the Steelheads would fall 5-4 despite a late push. 

David Tendeck made 24 saves on 29 shots in the win while Leevi Merilainen made 39 saves on 43 shots in the loss. 

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1. Gavin Gould (ALN)
2. Hank Crone (ALN)
3. Blake Murray (ALN)

GAME NOTES

• Idaho went 1-for-4 power-play while Allen was 0-for-6.
• Idaho outshot Allen 43-34.  
• Idaho is 33-19-5 all-time vs. Allen and 12-12-2 in Allen, TX. The Steelheads are 5-3 against the Americans this season, 1-2 in Allen.  
• Jade Miller (IR), Bryan Thomson (DNP), Ben Zloty (SICK) did not dress for Idaho. 
• Patrick Kudla (0-3-3) recorded his eighth multi-point game of the season while Wade Murphy (0-2-2) notched his team leading 13^th multi-point game of the year. 
• Jack Becker scored two goals for the second time this year. He led all skaters with 10 shots on net. 
• Mark Rassell leads the team with six multi-goal games and leads the league with 22. 
• Francesco Arcuri, Keaton Mastrodonato, and Ty Pelton-Byce each finished with an assist. 

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