A.J. WHITE AND NICK CANADE EACH SCORE TWICE IN VICTORY OVER TAHOE, 5-2

STATELINE, NV  – The Idaho Steelheads (34-23-8-1, 77pts) defeated the Tahoe Knight Monsters (39-22-4-1, 85pts) Sunday afternoon by a final score of 5-2 in front of 3,427 fans at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. With six games remaining the Steelheads sit three points back of the fourth and final playoff spot. Idaho is in Allen next Friday and Saturday, then in Tulsa Sunday. 

The Steelheads took a 1-0 lead for the seventh straight game as Francesco Arcuri (7^th) struck on the power-play 2:38 into the game from Patrick Kudla and Kaleb Pearson. From the left circle Pearson bumped the puck up to the blue line for Kudla where he fed Arcuri in the right circle for a one-timer. Issac Johnson tied the game at 1-1 with 3:16 to play in the frame. Then 90 seconds later the Steelheads received a penalty shot after Jake Johnson of the Knight Monsters threw his stick. A.J. White (11^th) made it 2-1 with 1:46 to play in the stanza with the penalty shot score. 

Simon Pinard tied the game at 2-2 just 6:18 into the second period but four minutes later Nick Canade (13^th) gave Idaho back the lead from Ty Pelton-Byce and Wade Murphy. From the left hash marks Murphy laid the puck a couple feed behind him for Pelton-Byce who slid the puck to Canade in the right circle. At 10:18 he sent a low wrist shot far side past Vikman making it 3-2. 

White (12^th) notched his second of the game 5:01 into the third on a beautiful passing sequence with Arcuri and Murphy stretching the lead to 4-2. White drove the puck across the offensive blue line and bumped it to the right wall for Murphy. Then he slid it to Arcuri inside the left circle where he connected with White on the far side of the goal line for a one-timer. 4:36 later Canade (14^th) scored short-handed from Brendan Hoffmann making it 5-2 with 10:23 to play in the game. In front of the Tahoe bench Hoffmann poked the puck forward for Canade who had his initial shot stopped in the left circle. He crashed the net and banged home his own rebound. 

Bryan Thomson made 21 saves on 23 shots in the win, it was his first appearance in 41 days (Feb. 17) returning from an injury. Jesper Vikman made 18 saves on 23 shots in the loss. 

BOX SCORE

ICCU Three Stars
1) Nick Canade (IDH)                          
2) A.J. White (IDH)                         
3) Wade Murphy (IDH)  

GAME NOTES

• Idaho finished 1-for-5 on the power-play and 6-for-6 on the penalty kill. The Steelheads went 18-for-19 on the penalty kill in the series and 6-for-18 on the power-play.    
• Shots were even at 23-23. 
• Connor Punnett (DNP), Mason McCarty (INJ), Parker Berge (INJ) Jason Horvath (IR), and Mark Olver (IR) did not dress for Idaho. 
• Wade Murphy (0-2-2) notched his third straight multi-point game increasing his point streak to five games (4-4-8).  
• Francesco Arcuri (1-1-2) recorded his third straight multi-point game extending his point streak to five games (2-7-9). 
• Ty Pelton-Byce has a point in three straight games (1-3-4). 
• A.J. White led all skaters with six shots. 

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