TULSA, OK – The Idaho Steelheads (20-15-3-0, 43pts) fell to the Tulsa Oilers (21-12-4-2, 48pts) Sunday afternoon by a final score of 4-1 in front of 5,598 fans the BOK Center. Idaho and Tulsa will meet this coming Friday and Saturday in Boise at 7:10 p.m.
Idaho trailed 2-0 after the first period as Parker AuCoin scored at 6:43 and Michael Farren with 58 seconds left in the stanza. Shots were 10-9 Tulsa.
Jérémie Biakabutuka would stretch the Oilers lead to 3-0 with a power-play goal at 5:39 of the second period. 3:37 later Jade Miller (4th) would cut Idaho’s deficit back down to a pair from Blake Swetlikoff and Matt Register. Register through center ice fed Swetlikoff at the blue line from where he drove the puck to inside the left circle and fed Miller to his right. Miller sent a quick low shot home into the net at 9:16.
The Steelheads pulled their goaltender with five minutes remaining in the contest and generated good chances but were unable to convert as Alec Butcher made it a 4-1 final score tacking on an empty-net score at 18:28.
Ben Kraws made 24 saves on 27 shots in the loss while Talyn Boyko turned aside 29 of 30 shots in the win.
ICCU Three Stars
1) Talyn Boyko (TUL)
2) Michael Farren (TUL)
3) Parker AuCoin (TUL)
GAME NOTES
- Idaho finished 0-for-3 on the power-play while Tulsa went 1-for-1.
- Idaho outshot Tulsa 31-28.
- Romain Rodzisnki (IR), Ty Pelton-Byce (IR), Hank Crone (IR), C.J. Walker (IR), Nick Canade (IR), Wade Murphy (IR), Jason Horvath (IR), and Matt Ustaski (DNP) did not dress for Idaho.
- Matt Register recorded an assist for the third straight game.
- Pito Walton led all Idaho skaters with five shots.
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