FRANCESCO ARCURI STRIKES IN OVERTIME FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT

FRANCESCO ARCURI STRIKES IN OVERTIME FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT 

BOISE, ID – The Idaho Steelheads (41-17-2-2, 86pts) defeated the Tulsa Oilers (27-28-6-1, 61pts) Wednesday by a final score of 3-2 in overtime as Francesco Arcuri scored on the power-play 2:47 into the extra season. It was the 28^th sellout in the 29^th game as 5,075 fans made it out for the 26^th consecutive sellout at the Idaho Central Arena. Idaho and Tulsa will meet Friday and Saturday night at 7:10 p.m. 

Idaho and Tulsa were tied at 2-2 after the first period. Alec Butcher gave the Oilers and early lead finding the back of the net on a rebound at the top of the crease 5:47 into the contest. Patrick Kudla (10^th) tied the score at 1-1 with seven minutes remaining in the frame. Willie Knierim drove down the center lane into the attacking zone and fed Kudla at the right circle where he then sent a low wrist shot into the far low corner. Connor Mylymok delivered a big hit at center ice which led to a fighting major with Karl Boudrias at 14:18 of the stanza. The Steelheads went on the power-play at 15:04 and with four seconds left in the man advantage Lynden McCallum (5^th) gave Idaho a 2-1 lead with a deflection in the high slot on an initial point shot from Matt Register. With just 12 seconds left Blake McLaughlin directed the puck home at the far post tying the score at 2-2 on a feed from Dante Sheriff in the right circle. 

Both teams exchanged chances in the second and third period, but neither would find the back of the net as overtime was needed for the fourth time in the last five games. 

The Steelheads went on the power-play 2:47 into the extra session. A.J. White won the face-off in the left circle to the half-wall to Ty Pelton-Byce. From there he fed Patrick Kudla inside the center point where he laid it back for Pelton-Byce in the left circle. Pelton-Byce sent the puck over to the right circle dot where Francesco Arcuri (19^th) sent a one-timer through the legs of Gage Alexander sending the Steelheads to a 3-2 overtime win. 

Jake Kielly made 38 saves 40 shots improving to (8-3) while Gage Alexander turned aside 28 of 31 shots in the loss.    

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1. Francesco Arcuri 
2. Jake Kielly 
3. Gage Alexander

GAME NOTES

• Idaho went 2-for-4 on the power-play while Tulsa was 0-for-3. 
• Tulsa outshot Idaho 40-31. 
• Idaho is now 28-17-4 all-time vs. Tulsa and 13-6-2 in Boise. They’re 4-3-0-0 against the Oilers this season and 1-0-0-0 in Boise. 
• Sam Sternschein (IR), Wade Murphy (IR), Jack Jensen (IR), Colton Kehler (IR), Nick Canade (DNP), and Romain Rodzinski (DNP) did not dress for Idaho. 
• Idaho is now (8-2) in overtime this season with four of the last five games going beyond regulation. 12 of the last 14 games have been decided by two or fewer goals with the Steelheads posting a (10-1-0-1) record. 
• Idaho is now 7-0-1-1 when tied after two periods this season, 1-0-1-0 on home ice. 
• Matt Register tallied an assist setting a Steelheads ECHL record by a defenseman in the ECHL era for most points (55) by a defender in a single season. 
• Jordan Kawaguchi, Willie Knieirm, and Patrick Kudla each tallied an assist for the second straight game while Ty Pelton-Byce also picked up an assist. 
• Connor Mylymok made his professional debut picking up a fighting major in the first period. 

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