LINCOLN ERNE AND WILL MERCHANT RECORD THREE POINTS EACH IN VICTORY OVER OILERS, 4-2

LINCOLN ERNE AND WILL MERCHANT RECORD THREE POINTS EACH IN VICTORY OVER OILERS, 4-2 

TULSA, OK – The Idaho Steelheads (26-11-1-1, 54pts) defeated the Tulsa Oilers (18-17-3-0, 39pts) by a final score of 4-2 Friday night in front of 5,499 fans at The BOK Center. Idaho and Tulsa meet tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m. (MT). 

Idaho led 2-1 after the first period on goals from Will Merchant (2^nd) and Lincoln Erne (2^nd). At 8:53 Erne fired a wrist shot from the right point and with Merchant streaking through the high slot he got his stick on it deflecting it home making it 1-0. 3:30 later Merchant on the left wing half wall fed Matt Register at the point. Register slid the puck to the center of the line to Erne where he sent a wrist shot home making it 2-0 at 12:23. Dante Sheriff pulled Tulsa within one with a breakaway goal with 5:59 left in the frame. Shots were 16-9 in the stanza which featured no penalties.

No team scored in the second period as the Steelheads were 0-for-3 on the power-play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. Shots favored Tulsa 11-5 in the stanza. 

42 seconds into the third period Jade Miller (4^th) made it 3-1 on a goal at the top of the crease with assists going to Erne and Merchant. Then at 6:49 Wade Murphy (21^st) in the high slot received a pass from A.J. White who was behind the left side of the goal line. From there Murphy sent a one-timer low past the glove of Julian Junca. Jared Power would scored with 2:34 left in regulation but the Steelheads would end up prevailing going 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. 

Bryan Thomson made 38 saves on 40 shots in the win while Julian Junca turned aside 18 of the 22 shots he faced in the loss.

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1. Bryan Thomson (38 saves)
2. Lincoln Erne (1-2-3, +3, 3 shots) 
3. Dante Sheriff (TUL, 1-0-1, 4 shots) 

GAME NOTES

• Idaho went 0-for-3 on the power-play while Tulsa was 0-for-4. 
• Tulsa outshot Idaho 40-22.  
• Idaho is 22-14-4 all-time vs. Tulsa and 13-8-2 in Tulsa. 
• Jordan Kawaguchi (IR), Sam Sternschein (IR), David Tendeck (IR), Jordan Kawaguchi (IR), and Romain Rodzinski (DNP) did not dress for Idaho. 
• Will Merchant recorded his 100^th career assist as a Steelhead finishing the game with a goal and two assists. 
• Lincoln Erne recorded a goal and two assists. 
• Jade Miller scored a goal in his return to the lineup after missing the last 21 games with injury dating back to Nov. 29. 
• A.J. White, Cooper Jones, and Matt Register each tallied an assist. 
• Wade Murphy led all skaters with four shots on net. 

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