SALT LAKE CITY, UT – The Idaho Steelheads (3-2-0-0) held off the Utah Grizzlies (2-2-1-0) for a 4-2 victory at Maverik Center on Saturday night as head coach and director of hockey operations Everett Sheen earned his 218th win behind the bench for Idaho to take the record for the most ECHL wins by a head coach in Steelheads history.
Sheen needs 11 wins to take the franchise lead for all-time wins (ECHL & WCHL) over John Olver and needs to coach seven more games to earn the franchise record for games coached, with Olver and Derek Laxdal tied for the most at 360.
After an early Steelheads goal was disallowed when Nick Portz was deemed to have kicked the puck into Utah’s net, Liam Malmquist officially opened the scoring at 4:43 of the first period on a 2-on-0 break with Kaleb Pearson. The goal marked the first instance this season of the Steelheads scoring the opening goal of a game. Moments later Idaho would add to their lead as Nick Portz officially scored his first ECHL goal at 7:30 of the frame. Utah got one goal back shortly after to make it 2-1 as John Gelatt netted his first of the season after a net-front scramble around Nolan Maier.
The pace slowed in the middle frame, and it wasn’t until 16:28 of the period that the first goal was scored, when Brendan Hoffman broke free and scored on a second-chance attempt around Dryden McKay to restore Idaho’s two-goal lead.
In the third period Utah drew closer once more, as Reed Lebster grabbed his fourth goal of the weekend at 2:49 with a power play tally for the Grizzlies. Late in regulation, after Utah pulled McKay for an extra skater on a 6-on-4 power play, a turnover as Charlie Dodero exited the penalty box resulted in break for the Idaho defenseman to seal the game with an empty net goal to make it 4-2.
Nolan Maier made 21 saves on 23 shots in the win, while Dryden McKay stopped 25 of 28 shots in the loss.
ICCU Three Stars
1) Brendan Hoffman (IDH, 1-0-1, +1, 2 shots, GWG)
2) Nolan Maier (IDH, 21 saves, win)
3) Nick Portz (IDH, 1-0-1 +1, 2 shots, first ECHL goal)
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