STEELHEADS ADVANCE TO SECOND ROUND DEFEATING AMERICANS IN FIVE GAMES

STEELHEADS ADVANCE TO SECOND ROUND DEFEATING AMERICANS IN FIVE GAMES 

ALLEN, TX – The Idaho Steelheads defeated the Allen Americans by a final score of 5-3 in Game Five of the Mountain Semi-Finals capturing the series four games to one. Idaho will face Kansas City in the Mountain Division Finals beginning next Saturday May 4th in Kansas City at 6:05 p.m. (MT).  

Wade Murphy (3^rd) worked a takeaway in front of the penalty box and went in on a breakaway. Driving through the right circle he went back hand forehand over the glove of Mark Sinclair giving the Steelheads a 1-0 lead at 7:04. Just 69 seconds later James Hardie tied the score at 1-1 getting a rebound in the right circle sending a shot far-side past Bryan Thomson. Allen outshot Idaho 11-9 in the frame. 

Idaho captured a 3-1 lead through two periods scoring twice in the middle frame. Matt Register in the defensive zone from the far corner slid the puck up the right-wing wall where Murphy collected it. From there Murphy directed it off the wall finding Mark Rassell (5^th) out through center ice where he went in on a breakaway beating Sinclair going back hand fore-hand sending a shot past the blocker 2:27 into the frame. Reece Harsch led a partial three-on-two across the blue line and fed Jade Miller above the high slot. Miller took a couple strides in and kicked the puck out to Francesco Arcuri (1^st) below the left circle dot sent a shot into the net short side at 9:04 as Sinclair could not slide over in time. Shots were 13-11 in the period. 

5:51 into the third period Kris Myllari got the Americans on the board cutting the Allen deficit down to 3-2 before the Steelheads re-captured their second two goal lead of the game. Murphy (4^th) intercepted the puck on the right-wing half wall and attacked the net from below the right circle slipping a shot between the five-hole of Sinclair at 9:57 of the third stanza. Then 3:16 later Ty Pelton-Byce drove through the left circle and slid the puck to the right circle setting up Keaton Mastrodonato (2^nd) on the back side where he slammed it home making it 5-2 at 13:13 of the frame. 30 seconds later Kameron Keilly got the Americans on the board to pull Allen to a 5-3 deficit. Allen outshot Idaho 13-12 in the final stanza. 

Bryan Thomson made 34 saves on 37 shots in the win while Mark Sinclair made 27 saves on 32 shots in the loss.   

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1. Wade Murphy (IDH, 2-1-3, +3, 3 shots) 
2. James Hardie (ALN, 1-0-1, 5 shots) 
3. Matt Register (IDH, 0-1-1, 1 shot) 

GAME NOTES

• Idaho and Allen were both 0-for-1 on the power-play.  
• Allen outshot Idaho 37-32. 
• Willie Knierim (DNP), Demetrios Koumontzis (DNP), and Joe Gatenby (INJ) did not dress for Idaho. 
• Idaho has now eliminated Allen in the playoffs in two straight years. 
• Matt Register recorded an assist and is tied for the all-time ECHL post-season points record with 117. 
• Ty Pelton-Byce finished the series with (3-9-12) leading the playoffs in scoring. 
• Francesco Arcuri scored his first career ECHL Kelly Cup Playoff goal. 

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