MARK RASSELL SCORES 23 SECONDS INTO OVERTIME AS IDAHO TAKES A 1-0 SERIES LEAD ON ALLEN

MARK RASSELL SCORES 23 SECONDS INTO OVERTIME AS IDAHO TAKES A 1-0 SERIES LEAD ON ALLEN

BOISE, ID – The Idaho Steelheads erased two-goal deficits to come from behind as Mark Rassell provided the overtime winner 23 seconds into the extra session as Idaho won 6-5 in front of 4,711 fans at the Idaho Central Arena on Monday night. Idaho and Allen will square off for Game Two on Wednesday in Boise at 7:10 p.m.

The Americans would take a 2-0 lead in first period receiving a goal from Colby McAuley at 7:34 and a five-on-three power-play score from Colin Jacobs at 13:51. Rassell (1^st) would pull Idaho within one with 4:39 left in the frame, 90 seconds after Jacobs’s score. Jake Murray weaved his way through neutral ice and fed Keaton Mastrodonato at the right-wing wall. From there Mastrodonato fed Rassell in the high slot where he sent a wrist shot beating Marco Costantini far side. Shots were 15-9 Americans as Allen took a 2-1 lead into the dressing room after the opening 20 minutes. 

Idaho headed on a power-play just 7:44 into the second period and 31 seconds into the man advantage Wade Murphy (1^st) tied the game at 2-2. Patrick Kudla from the top of the point fed Ty Pelton-Byce outside in the right circle. Pelton-Byce wasted no time sending a feed to Murphy in the left circle where he blasted a one-timer low past Costantini. Allen would re-take the lead with a power-play goal of their own from Liam Finlay at 13:01 and then took a 4-2 lead 75 seconds later on a score from Chaz Smedsrud. With just 1:38 left in the frame Patrick Kudla (1^st) would pull Idaho back within one. Joe Gatenby behind the defensive blue-line stretched Mark Rassell out through center ice. On a two-on-one Rassell slid the puck to Kudla in the left circle where he directed it over the right shoulder of Costantini. Then 59 seconds later with 45 seconds remaining in the frame Matt Register (1^st) tied the game at 4-4. Wade Murphy worked a turnover in the right circle and spun it down below the circle for Ty Pelton-Byce. With Register jumping up in the play Pelton-Byce connected with him in the high slot where he slid it through the five-hole of Costantini. The score was tied after 40 minutes with shots favoring Idaho 16-14 in the period. 

4:46 into period three James Hardie would make it a 5-4 Allen lead. Idaho headed on their fourth power-play of the night at 6:29 of the stanza and 73 seconds into the man advantage Kudla (2^nd) notched the game at 5-5 deflecting the puck home by the crease after an initial shot from Keaton Mastrodonato. Idaho outshot Allen 13-3 in the final period as overtime hockey was needed to provide a winner. 

After the opening face-off Idaho dumped the puck into the offensive zone behind the net. Costantini went to play the puck in the trapezoid and turned it right over to the stick of Ty Pelton-Byce. Rassell (2^nd) drove through the left circle and got a pass from Pelton-Byce in the high slot and banged it home as Costantini could not get back in time sending Idaho to a 6-5 overtime win.    

Jake Kielly made 27 saves on 32 shots for the win while Marco Costantini made 33 saves on 39 shots in the loss.  

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1. Mark Rassell (IDH, 2-1-3, +1, 3 shots) 
2. Patrick Kudla (IDH, 2-1-3, +2, 7 shots) 
3. Jordan Kawaguchi (IDH, 0-0-0, 3 shots) 

GAME NOTES

• Idaho and Allen each went 2-for-4 on the power-play.   
• Idaho outshot Allen 39-32. 
• Francesco Arcuri (DNP), Demetrios Koumontzis (DNP), and Reece Harsch did not dress for Idaho. 
• Wade Murphy (1-1-2), Keaton Mastrodonato (0-2-2), Ty Pelton-Byce (0-4-4), Patrick Kudla (2-1-3), and Mark Rassell (2-1-3) all finished with multi-point games. 
• Kudla led all skaters with seven shots on net. 

Stay up to date with all things Steelheads on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Watch all Steelheads home games on FloHockey and KTVB 24/7 (Channel 7.2) and listen on 95.3 FM and 1350 AM KTIK “The Ticket”.