FRANCESCO ARCURI PROVIDES OVERTIME WINNER ONCE AGAIN

FRANCESCO ARCURI PROVIDES OVERTIME WINNER ONCE AGAIN AS STEELHEADS COMPLETE COME FROM BEHIND WIN 

BOISE, ID – The Idaho Steelheads (47-20-2-2, 98pts) defeated the Utah Grizzlies (31-35-4-0, 67pts) Friday night by a final score of 4-3 in front of 5,242 fans at the Idaho Central Arena as Francesco Arcuri scored a four-on-three power-play goal just nine second into overtime. It was the 34^th sellout in the 35^th home game including the 32^nd consecutive. Idaho and Utah will wrap up their regular season tomorrow night in Boise at 7:10 p.m.  

Idaho trailed 2-1 after the first period of play. Brandon Cutler got the scoring started 3:22 into the game with a backhander from the right circle beating Bryan Thomson. With 5:25 left in the period Gianni Fairbrother increased the lead to 2-0 with a shot from the left point going upstairs on Thomson with a lot of traffic in front. With just 61 seconds left in the stanza Lynden McCallum (6^th) was set up back door by Francesco Arcuri making it a one goal game. Shots were 12-9 Utah in the frame. 

The Grizzlies led 3-1 after 40 minutes as Brandon Cutler scored his second goal of the game with 6:30 to play in the stanza sent a shot from the top of the point going over the shoulder of Thomson. Shots were 15-10 Idaho in the period.  

Idaho started their comeback just 61 seconds into the third A.J. White (27^th) with his 13^th man advantage goal of the season tipping a shot at the top of the crease on a point shot from Register. Just 6:14 later Francesco Arcuri (25^th) scored his first goal of the game after good wall work from White and Register. Below the right-wing hash marks White fed Arcuri in the right circle where he let a wrist shot fly over the shoulder of Vinny Duplessis. Idaho received a power-play with 1:22 left in the game which carried into overtime. 

White won the face-off to begin overtime, and Jordan Kawaguchi drifted on into the offensive zone down the left wing. He then cut to the top of the left circle and slid the puck to Arcuri all alone in the right circle where he stepped into a one-timer with Duplessis unable to slide post to post in time.  

Bryan Thomson made 28 saves 33 shots in the win while Vinny Duplessis made 29 saves on 33 shots in the loss.  

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1. Francesco Arcuri (IDH, 2-1-3, +2, 3 shots) 
2. Matt Register (IDH, 0-3-3, +2, 2 shots) 
3. Brandon Cutler (UTA, 2-0-2, +1, 3 shots) 

GAME NOTES

• Idaho went 2-for-3 on the power-play while Utah was 0-for-2.  
• Idaho outshot Utah 33-31. 
• Idaho is now 135-67-27 all-time vs. Utah and 73-32-14 in Boise. Idaho is 9-3-1 vs. Utah this season including 4-1-1. 
• Idaho is now 5-19-0-1 when trailing after two periods of play and 4-8-0-1 in Boise when trailing after 40 minutes. 
• Sam Sternschein (IR), Colton Kehler (IR), Jared Moe (IR), Ben Zloty (IR), Reece Harsch (IR), Wade Murphy (SUSP), Romain Rodzinski (DNP), and Demetrios Koumontzis (DNP). 
• With three assists Matt Register now has 54 on the season, a Steelheads ECHL era single season record. 

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