BEN KRAWS RECORDS FIRST PRO SHUTOUT AS STEELHEADS TIE SEASON HIGH IN GOALS WITH 7-0 VICTORY

WEST VALLEY CITY, UT – The Idaho Steelheads (23-15-5-0, 51pts) defeated the Utah Grizzlies (14-23-4-1, 33pts) Monday night by a final score of 7-0 in front of 3,418 fans at the Maverik Center. Ben Kraws made 34 saves for his first professional shutout as Brendan Hoffmann and Connor MacEachern each finished with two goals and one assist. The seven goals tied Idaho’s season high as it was their largest margin of victory this year stretching their point-streak to a season long five games. 

Idaho led 3-0 after the first period scoring the three tallies in a span of 6:57. Demetrios Koumontzis (2^nd) got the party started at 8:29 from Brendan Hoffmann and Andrew Bellant. Bellant from the left corner sent the puck behind the net for Hoffmann. From there Hoffmann found Koumontzis in the left circle where he snapped a shot into the net. Then exactly two minutes later Brendan Hoffmann (17^th) increased the lead to 2-0 from Matt Register and Koumontzis. From the left point Koumontzis fed Register at the right dot. Register sent the puck towards the net which was saved, and Hoffmann was there to clean home the rebound. Patrick Moynihan (4^th) drew a penalty in the offensive zone with Ben Kraws on the bench for the extra attacked moments later Moynihan made it 3-0 at 15:26 from Connor MacEachern and Register. From the right dot MacEachern fed Moynihan below the left circle where he smashed a one-timer into the cage. 

Idaho stretched their lead to 6-0 after 40 minutes of play receiving three goals in the middle frame in a stretch of 5:37. At 10:04 Wade Murphy (1^st) sent a one-timer home from the left circle on a two-on-one set up by Hank Crone in the right circle with Trevor Zins collecting the secondary assist. Just 16 seconds later Connor MacEachern (15^th) enhanced the lead to 5-0 with a rebound goal at the crease after an initial shot from the center of the blueline by Nick Canade with A.J White. 38 seconds into Idaho’s third penalty kill of the period Brendan Hoffmann (18^th) scored short-handed after Trevor Zins blocked a shot in the defensive zone leading to a two-on-one rush. A.J. white from the left circle fed Hoffmann inside the right circle where he snapped the puck home. 

Connor MacEachern (16^th) notched his second goal of the game at 6:39 of the third period on a breakaway from Jade Miller making it 7-0. 

Ben Kraws made 34 saves for the shutout win while Jake Barczewski made 20 saves on 25 shots in 30:20 while Vinny Duplessis made 16 saves on 18 shots in 29:40 of relief work. 

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars

1) Ben Kraws (IDH, 34 saves)                         

2) Brendan Hoffmann (IDH, 2-1-3, +3, 5 shots)                        

3) Connor MacEachern (IDH, 2-1-3, +3, 4 shots)                  

GAME NOTES

• Idaho finished 0-for-3 and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.             
• Idaho outshot Utah 43-34. 
• Ryan Gagnon (IR), C.J. Walker (IR), Ty Pelton-Byce (IR), Patrick Kudla (INJ), Andrei Bakanov (INJ), and Mark Olver (DNP) did not dress for Idaho.
• The Steelheads are on a season long five-game point-streak (3-0-2) and have a point in seven of their last eight games (5-1-2).
• Idaho tied their season high with seven goals in the game as it was their largest margin of victory as they recorded their first shutout of the season.
• The goals 16 seconds apart from one another in the second period tied Idaho’s fastest two goals apart from one another this season.
• Brendan Hoffmann scored his second short-handed goal of the season, Idaho’s fourth of the year as he finished the game (2-1-3)… He leads the team with six multi-goal games as he tallied his 11^th multi-point game, third three-point game.
• Connor MacEachern recorded his second multi-goal game and tallied his third three-point games with (2-1-3)… It was his seventh multi-point game.
• Demetrios Koumontzis (1-1-2), Matt Register (0-2-2), and A.J. White finished with multi-point games.
• Trevor Zins and Matt Register finished plus-six.
• Wade Murphy scored his first goal of the season.
• Hank Crone has a point in three straight games.

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