BOISE, ID – The Idaho Steelheads (2-2-0-0) fell to the Utah Grizzlies (2-1-1-0) by a score of 5-0 in their 2025-26 home opener Friday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,042 at Idaho Central Arena. The Steelheads will meet the Grizzlies again Saturday night at 7:10 p.m. MT to finish off the two-game set.
The Grizzlies struck early to break the ice, as Utah captain Tyler Gratton put home a backdoor feed seconds after a Utah power play expired to make it 1-0 Grizzlies at 2:42 of the opening frame. Utah would extend their lead toward the end of the period, with Reed Lebster beating Nolan Maier at 18:48 put the Steelheads in a 2-0 hole.
In the middle frame the Grizzlies continued their push and secured a 3-0 lead after Jack Ricketts’ slot shot grazed the shoulder of Maier and got behind him for the goal at 5:13. Later in the period, after Idaho was awarded a power play, Lebster chased down a loose puck on the ensuing faceoff and split two Steelheads on his way to a shorthanded goal to make it 4-0 Grizzlies at 11:20 of the frame.
While tensions were high in the third, the first goal didn’t come until there were just 16 seconds remaining in the game. Lebster got to work on a late major power play for Utah following a boarding penalty on Mitch Wahl, and notched his first career ECHL hat trick to finish off the 5-0 win.
Idaho finished 0/8 on their power play, while the Grizzlies went 1/8 with their power play opportunities.
In between the pipes Nolan Maier stopped 26 of 31 shots in the loss while Dylan Wells stopped all 46 Idaho shots in the win.
ICCU Three Stars
1) Reed Lebster (UTA, 3-1-4, +3, 8 shots)
2) Dylan Wells (UTA, 46 saves, shutout, win)
3) Aiden Hansen-Bukata (UTA, 0-3-3, +2, 0 shots)
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