STEELHEADS SUFFER SATURDAY NIGHT SETBACK IN TULSA

STEELHEADS SUFFER SATURDAY NIGHT SETBACK IN TULSA 

TULSA, OK – The Idaho Steelheads (34-14-2-1, 71pts) fell to the Tulsa Oilers (24-21-5-1, 54pts) Saturday night by a final score of 10-4 front of 9,650 fans at the BOK Center. Idaho and Tulsa will wrap up the three-in-three weekend tomorrow at 3:05 p.m. (MT). 

Idaho fell behind 2-0 early into the game as the Oilers received a power-play goal from Bair Gendunov at 5:04 and then an even strength from Alec Butcher 80 seconds later. 36 seconds later Jade Miller (5^th) got the Steelheads on the board as a Tulsa defender lost an edge on the right-wing wall and Jack Jensen was there to feed Miller all alone in the high slot. From there Miller at the top of the crease went fore-hand back-hand sliding the puck over the left leg of Julian Junca. Colton Kehler (8^th) provided the equalizer with 5:30 remaining in the stanza with a wrist shot from the left circle beating Junca low far side after Miller had fed Kehler into the offensive zone from the neutral zone. The score was 2-2 after the opening period as the Oilers outshot the Steelheads 17-6. 

Idaho surrendered five goals in the second period and trailed 7-2 after 40 minutes being outshot 14-8 in the frame. Jared Hilderman made it 3-2 with a power-play marker 3:20 into the period and then Eddie Matsushima scored 2:36 later giving Tulsa a two-goal lead. Kyle Crnkovic scored with 6:01 left in the frame and then Blake McLaguhlin 52 seconds later increased the lead to 6-2. McLaughlin got his second of the game 2:08 after his first making it 7-2.

Tulsa’s Blake McLaughlin capped off a four-goal game with a pair in the first half of the the third period increasing the lead to 9-3. Alec Butcher grabbed his second of the game with 4:52 left in regulation before Demetrois Koumontzis (6^th) was setup in the high slot from Jordan Kawaguchi and Parker Aucoin with 66 seconds left in the game.  

Jake Kielly made 23 saves 29 shots in the loss and was relieved after the sixth goal. Jared Moe made 10 saves on 14 shots in 25:09 while Julian Junca turned aside 20 of the 24 shots he faced in the loss. 

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1. Blake McLaughlin (TUL, 4-2-6, +4, 6 shots) 
2. Eddie Matsushima (TUL, 1-2-3, +2, 3 shots) 
3. Alec Butcher (TUL, 2-0-2, +1, 4 shots) 

GAME NOTES

• Idaho went 1-for-2 on the power-play while Tulsa was 3-for-4. 
• Idaho was outshot 43-24. 
• Idaho is 26-18-4 all-time vs. Tulsa and 13-12-2 in Tulsa. 
• Sam Sternschein (IR), Bryan Thomson (IR), Willie Knierim (INJ), Wade Murphy (INJ), did not dress for Idaho.
• The Steelheads season long point-streak ends at nine straight games (8-0-1). 
• A.J. White has a point in six straight games (3-7-10) after scoring his 11^th power-play goal of the season which is tied for second in the ECHL.  
• Parker Aucoin increased his point streak to four-games (1-4-5) with an assist. 
• Will Merchant has points in three straight games (1-2-3) after tallying an assist. 
• Jade Miller tallied his second multi-point game of the season with a goal and an assist and has a point in three of his last four games (1-3-4). 
• The 10 goals allowed by Idaho is the most given up in a game this season and the six goal loss is the largest losing margin this year. 

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