THIRD PERIOD RALLY COMES UP SHORT AS MAVERICKS TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD

THIRD PERIOD RALLY COMES UP SHORT AS MAVERICKS TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD

BOISE, ID – The Idaho Steelheads fell to the Kansas City Mavericks 7-5 Wednesday night in front of a sellout crowd of 5,076 fans at the Idaho Central Arena. Idaho trailed 5-1 heading into the third period and pulled back within one goal with just 4:23 remaining in regulation but the Mavericks would provide an equalizer with 3:10 left in the contest to take a 2-1 series lead in the Mountain Division Finals. Idaho and Kansas City will meet for Game Four Friday night right back at the Idaho Central Arena at 7:10 p.m.  

Idaho trailed 4-1 after the first period of play. Just 36 seconds into the game Patrick Curry gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead with a shot from the right circle beating Bryan Thomson through the right arm. At 9:25 Cade Borchardt increased the lead to 2-0 as Borchardt got a feed from Nolan Walker on a two-on-one play. Then with 3:48 left in the stanza Cole Coskey made it 3-0 picking a pass off in the right circle in the offensive zone sliding it for David Cotton far circle who fed Coskey back for the slam dunk. Wade Murphy (5^th) got the Steelheads on the board with a wrist shot from the high slot beating Cale Morris glove side with assists going to Reece Harsch and Patrick Kudla. With just 20 seconds in the frame Jeremy McKenna would give Kansas City back a three-goal lead heading into the intermission with a deflection at the top of the crease on a shot from the point. 

Heading into the second period Bryan Thomson was relieved for Jake Kielly after Thomson’s surrendered four goals on 14 shots. The only goal in the second frame came from David Cotton at 5:39 as he was left all along on the back side post receiving a feed on the near half wall from Jake Jaremko. 

4:54 into the third period Ty Pelton-Byce (5^th) pulled Idaho back within three goals. Patrick Kudla cut across the offensive blue line down the center lane and kicked the puck out to the left wing-wall. From the left circle dot Pelton-Byce let wrist shot beating Cale Morris far side low glove cutting the deficit down to 5-2. Then just 2:34 later Jordan Kawaguchi (2^nd) made it a two-goal contest. Kudla from the blue line fed Keaton Mastrodonato on the left-wing wall. From there Mastrodonato threaded a pass to the right circle dot for Kawaguchi where he sent a wrister upstairs on Morris cutting the Kansas City lead down to 5-3. Just 3:16 later the Mavericks increased their lead back to three goals as Bradley Schoonbaert was camped out in the neutral zone and received a pass down the right-wing wall and split into the offensive zone. From the right circle he snapped a shot past the far blocker of Kielly at 10:42. Then 4:27 later Keaton Mastrodoanto (4^th) pulled the Steelheads back within two goals with just 4:51 remaining in the game. Will Merchant form the red line tipped the puck to his left for A.J. White. White then charged across blue line down the left side and sauced a pass to Mastrodonato inside the right circle where he sent a shot upstairs on Morris. 28 seconds later Lynden McCallum (1^st) made it a 6-5 game. From inside the blue line Matt Register calmed down a bouncing puck and fed McCallum at the top of the right circle. From there he sent a wrist show low glove past Morris with 4:23 left in regulation. 73 seconds later Nolan Walker provided an insurance goal helping lead the Mavericks to a 7-5 win. 

Bryan Thomson made 10 saves on 14 shots in 20 minutes of work while Jake Kielly made 11 saves on 14 shots in 37:02 of relief. Cale Morris picked up the win turning aside 35 of the 40 shots he faced.    

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1. Patrick Curry (KC, 1-1-2, +1, 1 shot) 
2. Patrick Kudla (IDH, 0-3-3, -1, 3 shots) 
3. David Cotton (KC, 1-1-2, 2 shots) 

GAME NOTES

• Idaho and Kansas City each went 0-for-2 on the power-play.
• Idaho outshot Kansas City 40-28 including 17-4 in the third period. 
• Willie Knierim (DNP), Jade Miller (DNP), Francesco Arcuri (DNP), and Joe Gatenby (INJ) did not dress for Idaho. 
• Ty Pelton-Byce (4-4-8) and Wade Murphy (3-4-7) have points in five straight games.
• Matt Register became the ECHL’s all-time post-season point leader recording an assist for his 118^th playoff point.
• Keaton Mastrodonato (2-2-4) has back-to-back goal and an assist game.
• Jordan Kawaguchi has a goal in back-to-back games.
• Mark Rassell has an assist in back-to-back games.

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