STEELHEADS DRAIN THE OIL OUT OF TULSA IN 10-1 VICTORY

STEELHEADS DRAIN THE OIL OUT OF TULSA IN 10-1 VICTORY 

BOISE, ID – The Idaho Steelheads (42-18-2-2, 88pts) defeated the Tulsa Oilers (28-29-6-1, 63pts) Saturday by a final score of 10-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 5,244 fans at the Idaho Central Arena. It was the 30^th sellout in the 31^st game and the 28^th consecutive. Idaho is on the road for a three-game series at Utah beginning Wednesday. 

Idaho took a 2-0 lead into the locker room after the first 20 minutes of play with shots even at 14-14. At 11:15 Ty Pelton-Byce (15^th) gave the Steelheads a 1-0 lead. Matt Register from the center of the blue line fed Patrick Kudla down low in the right-wing corner. Kudla then fed Pelton-Byce in the left circle where he sent it past Julian Junca trying to slide back to his right. Just 4:39 later A.J. White (23^rd) increased the lead to 2-0 cashing in on a rebound at the top of the crease after an initial shot in the high slot from Wade Murphy. 

Idaho cashed in with five goals during the second period while allowing just one to take a 7-1 lead in the dressing room after 40 minutes of play. Idaho went on their first power-play at 8:10 of the frame and six second in Wade Murphy (23^rd) found a loose puck in the blue paint after an initial drive from the right circle from Francesco Arcuri to make it 3-0. 3:03 later Murphy (24^th) struck again making it 4-0 at 12:19 of the stanza. From the top of the point Jake Murray fed Murphy in the left circle where he beat Junca far side. Trevor Zins drew a penalty at 12:27 as the Steelheads went on their second power-play of the game and 63 seconds into the man advantage Willie Knieirm (15^th) increased the lead to 5-0. From the center point Matt Register sent a shot wide of the back board that popped out to Knierim at the near side of the crease where he tucked it past the near toe of Junca. The Oilers lone goal of the game came 2:21 later as Will Butcher deflected a shot home at the near side of the crease at 15:51 cutting the Tulsa deficit down to 5-1 ending Julian Junca’s night in net. 1:18 later Keaton Mastrodonato (22^nd) increased the lead back to five goals. Patrick Kudla below the left circle fed Mastrodonato at the near dot where he sent a shot off the cross bar and into the back of the net making it 6-1 at 17:09 of the period. With 13 seconds left in the stanza A.J. White (24^th) received a feed from Wade Murphy and from the left circle White hammered it into the back of the cage sending Idaho into the intermission up 7-1. 

The Steelheads scored three goals in the first half of the third period in a stretch of 6:11 to capture a 10-1 advantage. Before that just seven seconds into the stanza Kishaun Gervais and Connor Mylymok dropped the gloves right at center ice and were each assessed five-minute fighting majors. Idaho went on their third power-play of the night at 4:22 of the stanza and eight seconds into the man advantage Will Merchant (6^th) increased the lead to 8-1 with a shot in the left circle beating Gage Alexander short side upstairs. Just 1:47 later Jordan Kawaguchi (6^th) made it 9-1 finding a rebound in the blue paint. At 10:41, 4:28 after Kawaguchi’s score Nick Canade (6^th) also found a rebound in the blue paint making it 10-1.   

Bryan Thomson made 34 saves 35 shots in the win. Julian Junca made 21 saves on 26 shots in 33:30 while Gage Alexander made 15 saves on 20 shots in 26:30 of relief work. 

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1. Wade Murphy (2-1-3, +2, 6 shots) 
2. Patrick Kudla (0-4-4, +1, 2 shots) 
3. Bryan Thomson (34 saves) 

GAME NOTES

• Idaho went 3-for-3 on the power-play while Tulsa was 0-for-1. It was the third time this season the Steelheads have scored three power-play goals in a game; (Nov. 1, 8-2 win, 3-for-5 and Dec. 8, 5-4 OTW, 3-for-4). The three power-play goals came six seconds, 63 seconds, and eight seconds into the man advantages. 
• Idaho outshot Tulsa 46-35. It was the 21^st time this season the Steelheads have recorded 40 or more shots, their first time since Feb. 10 (50 shots, 6-5 OTL vs. Utah) doing so, 17 games.  
• The 10 goals scored by Idaho is the most this season while the five goals in the second period is the second time, they have done so this year (Dec. 1 vs. Newfoundland, 8-3 Win). 
• Idaho is now 29-18-4 all-time vs. Tulsa and 14-7-2 in Boise. Idaho finished their head-to-head series against Tulsa 5-4-0-0- Oilers this season and 2-1-0-0 in Boise. 
• Sam Sternschein (IR), Colton Kehler (IR), Demetrios Koumontzis (DNP), and Ben Zloty (DNP) did not dress for Idaho. 
• Patrick Kudla four assists for the third time in his Steelheads career. It was his 15^th multi-point game of the year as he increased his point-streak to four games (1-7-8). He is third amongst ECHL defenders in scoring (52GP, 10-44-54). 
• Nick Canade scored a goal in his 100^th game as a Steelhead. 
• Wade Murphy scored two goals and added an assist for his fourth three-point game of the year, team leading 18^th multi-point game. It was his fifth multi-goal game of the year. 
• Keaton Mastrodonato scored a goal and tallied an assist for his 11^th multi-point game of the season. 
• Romain Rodzinski recorded two assists for his third multi-point game of the year. 
• Francesco Arcuri tallied an assist lifting his point-streak to three-games (2-1-3). Since Dec. 23 in 34 games he has (14-16-30) after beginning the season with (6-3-9) in 21 games. 
• Ty Pelton-Byce registered a goal and an assist lifting his point-streak to three games (1-3-4) for his 14^th multi-point game. 
• A.J. White recorded his 300^th point as a Steelhead joining Marty Flichel as the only two players in franchise history to hit that mark. He finished with two goals for his third multi-goal game of the year while tacking on an assist for his third multi-point game of the year, 12^th multi-point game. 
• Jake Murray tallied two assists for his first career multi-point game. 
• Will Merchant scored a goal and added an assist for his fourth multi-point game of the year. 
• Willie Knierim scored a goal and added an assist for his fourth multi-point game of the year. 
• Matt Register tallied two assists for his 13^th multi-point game of the year and ranks second amongst ECHL defenders in scoring (64GP, 9-48-57). 
• Jordan Kawaguchi scored a goal and added two assists for his second three-point game of the year and fifth multi-point game of the year. 

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