Matchup: Alaska Aces at Idaho Steelheads. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at Qwest Arena. Game time each night is 7 PM.
You used to be here, right? The guy who has almost single-handedly resurrected Alaska’s season is goaltender Frank Doyle. Acquired in a midseason trade with Charlotte, Doyle won seven of his first ten starts in Alaska to help steady the Aces’ ship. If Doyle’s name sounds familiar, it should – Doyle was an all-star for Idaho in 2004-2005 and has the best goals-against average (2.16) since the Steelheads joined the ECHL.
Steady Rej-y: On the topic of goaltenders, the Steelheads have benefited greatly from the steady hand of Rejean Beauchemin this season. Among the ECHL leaders in wins and goals-against average, the 24-year-old recently passed Doyle for second-most wins in net for Idaho in the ECHL era, behind only Steve Silverthorn.
The Idaho Steelheads completed a three-game sweep at home of the Alaska Aces with a 7-1 win in front of 5,385 fans tonight at Qwest Arena. Seven different goal scorers put a puck in the net for Idaho, as Rejean Beauchemin won his 21st game of the season between the pipes.
Before the opening draw, tonight’s honorary top star Jayden Bennett, battling osteosarcoma, was introduced in the starting lineup, and allowed to shoot a puck into the Alaska net. He was an honorary Steelhead for tonight’s contest; his Make-A-Wish.
Evan Barlow opened the scoring for Idaho, who struck first in all three games of the three-game series, as he marched up the right wing, cut to the goal, and deked Alaska’s Scott Reid before scoring his 26th of the year on a backhand shot. The goal was unassisted at 8:15, and extended Barlow’s ECHL goal-scoring streak to seven games.
At 10:52 of the first period, Dustin Friesen fired a point shot through traffic on the power play that found its way over the goal line to give Idaho a 2-0 lead. Marty Flichel and Tyler Spurgeon assisted on Friesen’s third goal of the season, and first goal as a Steelhead.
In the second period, the Steelheads took a 3-0 lead when Ashton Rome knocked home a rebound after a great individual effort from Cody Lampl. Lampl’s original shot hit the post, but Lampl followed the rebound, send another shot into the pads of Reid, and Rome scored his 15th of the season on the power play.
At 5:39 of the period, Rome walked up the right wing side, looked across the slot, and saw a streaking Kevin DeVergilio in the left circle. Rome found DeVergilio, who fired the puck over the line to give Idaho a 4-0 lead heading into the second intermission.
Mark Derlago made it 5-0 at 3:20 of the third period after carrying the puck into the offensive end, deking a defender, and faking Reid to regain the team lead in goals with his 27th. Tyler Spurgeon and Brendan Milnamow assisted on the goal.
Judd Blackwater scored for the Aces to break Rejean Beauchemin’s shutout at 5:28 when he picked up a loose puck in front of the Idaho net, and stuffed home his 26th of the season.
Almost 10 minutes later, at 16:25, John Swanson fired home a bouncing puck in the slot for his 15th of the season on the power play. The goal came moments after Swanson sent a puck off the goal post, as Rome and Lampl assisted on the tally.
At 17:15 of the third period, Steelheads Captain Marty Flichel ripped a slap shot from the right point over the shoulder of Reid to give the Steelheads a 7-1 lead, which is how the game would end. Adam Huxley and Weston Tardy assisted on the goal.
Rejean Beauchemin stopped 13 of 14 for the Steelheads. He is 21-7-2 with the win. Scott Reid turned away 44 of 51 for Alaska. With the loss, he is 10-12-3.
The Steelheads will host the Bakersfield Condors at Qwest Arena Wednesday, Friday, and next Saturday; March 3rd, 5th, and 6th. Each game begins at 7:00 PM.