PATRICK KUDLA SCORES OVERTIME WINNER HANDING IDAHO 5-4 WIN

PATRICK KUDLA SCORES OVERTIME WINNER HANDING IDAHO 5-4 WIN

ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND – The Idaho Steelheads (39-16-2-1, 81pts) defeated the Newfoundland Growlers (26-25-7-2, 61pts) 75 seconds into overtime as Patrick Kudla scored Monday night in front of 2,196 fans at the Mary Brown’s Centre. After taking four of six points over the Growlers Idaho now travels to Trois-Rivières, Quebec to take on the Lions Wednesday night at 5:00 p.m. (MST). 

After a scoreless first period the Steelheads scored three times in the second period to take a 3-0 lead into the dressing room after 40 minutes. 39 seconds into the frame Willie Knierm (3^rd) tucked the puck past the far toe of Dryden McKay from the far side of the crease off a feed from the left-wing half-wall from Ben Zloty. Nicholas Canade was crunched from behind midway through the second period in the offensive zone with no call being made. With players on the ice looking around in a scrum the puck hopped out to Matt Register at the blue line. A.J. White (22^nd) was all alone in the high slot and stepped to the net shoveling it past McKay at 9:05 making it 2-0. With 3:04 left in the stanza Francesco Arcuri (17^th) was fed in the left circle by Patrick Kudla. Arcuri snapped a wrist shot into the top far corner making it 3-0. 

The Growlers scored three unanswered goals in the opening 8:22 to tie the game at 3-3. Joe Gatenby scored at 1:40 with a wrist shot from the right circle and then at 3:19 Neil Shea pulled the Growlers within one with a turnaround shot from the right-wing wall. Zach O’Brien tied the game with a shot from the top of the left circle at 8:22. Just 90 seconds later the Steelheads grabbed the lead as Knierim (14^th) notched his second of the game from Demetrios Koumontzis and Ben Zloty. From the left point Zloty fed Koumontzis in the right circle where he fed Knierim at the top of the crease for a redirection into the net. Newfoundland pulled their goaltender with about two minutes left in the game and O’Brien tied it up at 4-4 with a deflection through the high slot. 

In overtime Jared Moe made a terrific save on O’Brien backdoor about a minute in. From the back wall Will Merchant rimmed the puck up the left-wing wall. Patrick Kudla (9^th) scooped the puck up right in front of the Steelheads bench and went in one-on-one against McKay. He went back-hand fore-hand at the top of the crease and McKay made the initial stop with his right pad but Kudla stayed with it jamming home the rebound.  

Jared Moe made 37 saves 41 shots in the win while Dryden McKay turned aside 32 of the 37 shots he faced. 

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1. Patrick Kudla (1-1-2, +1, 2 shots) 
2. Zach O’Brien (NFL)
3. Willie Knieirm (2-0-2, +1, 3 shots) 

GAME NOTES

• Idaho went 1-for-3 on the power-play while Newfoundland was 0-for-3. 
• Newfoundland outshot Idaho 41-37. 
• Sam Sternschein (IR), Wade Murphy (IR), Jack Jensen (IR), Parker Aucoin (DNP), and Jade Miller (DNP) did not dress for Idaho.
• Idaho improved to 6-2 in overtime this season. 
• Matt Register increased his point-streak to seven games with an assist (2-7-9). 
• A.J. White scored his fifth goal in his last eight games and has points in three straight (2-1-3). He has 15 (7-8-15) over his last 13 games. 
• Will Merchant tallied an assist for the third consecutive game and has a point in five of his last six games (1-4-5). 
• Ben Zloty tallied two assists extending his point-streak to five games (1-5-6). He has a point now in 13 of his last 16 games (4-10-14).
• Patrick Kudla scored his third career game-winning goal, his first in overtime in 105 games as a Steelhead. He has a point in six straight games (3-5-8) while also adding an assist. 
• Francesco Arcuri scored a goal and tallied an assist while Jared Moe, Nick Canade, Ty Pelton-Byce, and Demetrios Koumontzis also recorded an assist. 

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