GROWLERS KNOCK DOWN STEELHEADS TO BEGIN SERIES 6-2
ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND – The Idaho Steelheads (37-16-2-1, 77pts) fell to the Newfoundland Growlers (26-23-7-2, 61pts) Saturday night by a final score of 6-2 in front of 4,774 fans at the Mary Brown’s Centre to kick-off a six-game Canadian road trip. Idaho and Newfoundland meet tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. (MT).
The Growlers led 2-0 after the opening period on a pair of special team goals. Tate Singleton made it 1-0 just 3:46 into the game on a short-handed breakaway and then Tyler Weiss scored on a five-on-three power-play with a rebound in front. Shots favored Newfoundland 15-10.
Keenan Suthers scored the second short-handed goal of the game 4:27 into the second period giving the Growlers a 3-0 advantage coming on a breakaway. Idaho went on their fourth power-play of the game with eight minutes left in the period and Jordan Kawaguchi (5th) provided the score 48 seconds into the man advantage with a wrist shot from the left circle finding the back of the net low far side. Matt Register and Will Merchant picked up helpers on the goal, but the Steelheads trailed 4-1 after 40 minutes of play outshooting Newfoundland 13-12 in the stanza.
A.J. White (21st) scored a rebound goal in front of the net 1:40 into the third period from Patrick Kudla and Ben Zloty to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Growlers increased back to a three-goal lead with Tate Singleton’s second of the night coming at 10:20. With 17 seconds left Issac Johnson capped off a two goal night of his own handing the Growlers a 6-2 win.
Jake Kielly made 29 saves 35 shots in the loss while Dryden McKay turned aside 31 of the 33 shots he faced.
ICCU Three Stars
- Tate Singleton (NFL)
- Tyler Weiss (NFL)
- Issac Johnson (NFL)
GAME NOTES
- Idaho went 1-for-4 on the power-play while Newfoundland was 1-for-2.
- Idaho was outshot 35-33.
- Sam Sternschein (IR), Wade Murphy (IR), Jack Jensen (IR), Jade Miller (DNP) and Connor Blake (DNP) did not dress for Idaho.
- Matt Register increased his point-streak to five games (1-6-7).
- A.J. White has four goals in his last six games.
- Jordan Kawaguchi has a point in six of his last seven games (3-6-9).
- Will Merchant has a point in three of his last four games (1-2-3).
- Patrick Kudla played in his first game with Idaho since Feb. 16 after being released from his PTO with Calgary and has a point in four straight games (1-5-6).
- The two short-handed goals allowed in the game was the second time Idaho has done so this year, the other on Oct. 21 in a 8-5 win vs. Allen. Idaho has surrendered six short-handed goals against now.
- Ben Zloty tallied an assist in his first games back with Idaho since Feb. 17 after being re-assigned from Texas earlier this week.
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