WICHITA, KS – The Idaho Steelheads (15-10-3-0, 33pts) fell to the Wichita Thunder (16-11-2-0, 34 points) Friday night in overtime by a final score of 3-2 in front of 3,128 fans at INTRUST Bank Arena. The game marked the sixth straight one-goal game for Idaho and the fourth time over their last six contests they have gone to the extra frame. Idaho and Wichita will meet tomorrow night at 5:05 p.m. (MT).
The Steelheads trailed 2-0 after the first period as Peter Bates gave Wichita a 1-0 lead 87 seconds in and then Jay Dickman stretched the advantage to a pair 4:24 later. Shots favored Idaho 15-10.
Patrick Kudla (4th) scored the lone tally in the second period as Idaho trailed 2-1 through 40 minutes of play. Ty Pelton-Byce from the left wall fed Hank Crone at the top of the right circle. From there Crone fed Kudla in the left circle where he sent a wrist shot off the right post into the net at 7:13. Shots were 17-8 Idaho.
Lynden McCallum (9th) tied the game at 2-2 just 2:07 into the final frame when Nick Canade sent a shot from the left circle off the back glass that took a funky bounce hoping right out to the blue paint where McCallum banged it home. The Steelheads outshot the Thunder 14-3 in the period but overtime hockey was needed to determine a winner.
TJ Llyod called game for Wichita with 2:24 to play with a one-timer from the high slot handing the Thunder a 3-2 overtime win.
Ben Kraws made 23 saves on 26 shots in the loss while Trevor Gorsuch made 45 saves on 47 shots in the loss.
ICCU Three Stars
1) Trevor Gorsuch (WIC, 45 saves)
2) TJ Llyod (WIC, 1-0-1, 2 shots)
3) Patrick Kudla (IDH, 1-0-1, -1, 2 shots)
GAME NOTES
- Idaho went 0-for-3 on the power-play while Wichita was 0-for-4.
- Idaho outshot Wichita 47-26 including 31-11 in the final 40 minutes.
- Demetrios Koumontzis (DNP), Connor MacEachern (INJ), Romain Rodzinski (IR), and Reece Harsch (DNP) did not dress for Idaho.
- It was Idaho’s first game in Wichita since Feb. 15, 2023 (681 days).
- Idaho tied their ECHL high in overtime games at seven… The last time they went to overtime on seven occasions was during the 2015-16 campaign.
- Hank Crone and Ty Pelton-Byce extended their point-streaks to three games with an assist while Nick Canade has a helper in four straight games.
- Pelton-Byce led all Idaho skaters with seven shots.
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