The Idaho Steelheads completed a season-opening three-game sweep of the Stockton Thunder with a 3-2 win tonight at Qwest Arena. In his first career start, Richard Bachman displayed acrobatics to preserve his first career win in net for Idaho.
The Steelheads opened the scoring when offseason acquisition Mark Derlago netted his second of the season. Derlago took a pass in the slot from Brandan Kushniruk, who was streaking up the right wing. For Kushniruk, the assist is his first professional point, and it came in his first professional game. Less than three minutes after Derlago’s goal at 12:25, Stockton’s Judd Blackwater scored his third goal in as many games on the power play with assists going to James Bates and Oren Eizenman.
The teams finished the second period tied, just as they did the first. However, each team did tack on an additional goal in the middle frame. After a crucial turnover in the Stockton end, Tyler Spurgeon scored his first of the season to put the Steelheads on top, unassisted, at 1:52. With less than two minutes remaining in the second period, Chris D’Alvise scored his first professional goal. Chris Davis and Blackwater earned the assists on the goal that tied the game at 2-2.
The third period yielded one goal. Following a penalty taken by Thunder forward Kelly Czuy, John Swanson scored on a point shot for his first goal of the season and first as a Steelhead for what proved to be the game-winner at 9:57. Tyler Spurgeon and Marty Flichel assisted on the goal.
Richard Bachman stopped 26 of the 28 shots he saw en route to earning his first professional win; he is 1-0-0. Andrew Perugini falls to 0-2-0 for Stockton; he stopped 36 of 39 shots.