STRONG SECOND PERIOD PROPELS STEELHEADS TO 6-2 VICTORY

ALLEN, TX – The Idaho Steelheads (16-11-3-0, 35pts) defeated the Allen Americans (8-16-5-0, 21 pts) Tuesday night by a final score of 6-2 in front of 4,976 fans at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. Idaho will open a five-game home-stand Friday night at the Idaho Central Arena vs. Utah. 

Idaho led 1-0 after the opening 20 minutes as Brendan Hoffmann (11^th) sent a wrist shot from the right circle far side past the blocker of Luke Richardson at 11:20 from Hank Crone and Trevor Zins. Shots were 15-10 Idaho in the period. 

The Americans took a 2-1 lead as Nolan Orzeck scored at 6:17 and then Brian Chambers 3:19 later. Late in the period Idaho scored four unanswered goals in a stretch of 3:27 taking a 5-2 lead into the dressing room through 40 minutes of play. Thomas Caron (8^th) tied the score at 2-2 at 10:48 of the frame when his initial breakaway bid was stopped but then went off an Allen player and into the back of the net. Just 32 seconds later Nick Canade (4^th) made it 3-2 with 8:46 remaining in the stanza. He was sprung down the left wing through center ice by Matt Register and from the left dot fired a wrister over the far glove of Richardson. Idaho went to the penalty box at 11:55 of the period and 75 seconds into the kill Matt Register (4^th) provided a short-handed goal increasing the lead to 4-2. On a two-on-one Hoffmann from the right circle fed Register in the left circle where the defender sent a wrist shot off the far post into the net with 6:50 to play in the stanza. Then 59 seconds later Demetrios Koumontzis (1^st)

Hoffmann (12^th) ended the game with an empty netter with 2:20 remaining in regulation securing the 6-2 win. 

Ben Kraws made 34 saves on 36 shots in the WIN while Luke Richardson made 19 saves on 24 shots while Anson Thornton made 16 saves on 16 shots in relief. 

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars
1) Brendan Hoffmann (IDH, 2-1-3, +3, 6 shots)                    
2) Matt Register (IDH, 1-1-2, +4, 4 shots)                    
3) Nick Canade (IDH, 1-0-1, +1, 5 shots)            

GAME NOTES

• Idaho went 0-for-1 on the power-play while Allen was 0-for-2.        
• Idaho outshot Allen 41-36. 
• Chandler Romeo (DNP), Pito Walton (DNP), Connor MacEachern (INJ), Romain Rodzinski (IR), and Slava Demin (DNP) did not dress for Idaho.
• Idaho finished the month of December (6-4-2)… They outscored their opponents 19-6 in the second period.
• Matt Register scored Idaho’s third short-handed goal of the season… their first since Nov. 29… He finished with an assist for his ninth multi-point game of the season while finishing +4.
• Francesco Arcuri notched his first professional fighting major dropping the gloves in the first period… It was Idaho’s 13^th fighting major of the season as they’re (9-3) when registering a fight in a game. 
• Brendan Hoffmann (2-1-3) notched his fourth multi-goal game of the season and has five over his last six games. He led all Idaho skaters with six shots.
• Demetrios Koumontzis scored in his return to the lineup.  
• A.J. White, Blake Swetlikoff, Hank Crone, and Connor Punnett all tallied an assist. 
• Trevor Zins, Matt Register, and Thomas Caron all finished plus-four.

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