IDAHO COUNTERS WITH POWER PLAY TO EVEN SERIES

(BOISE, ID) – Terrence Wallin and Ryan Misiak helped even the score in the second period, but the Idaho Steelheads countered with a brilliant power play performance of their own to even this week’s three-game series with a 6-2 win on Friday night.

For a second consecutive night, Idaho struck first, but did so this time on the man-advantage. Anthony Luciani fired a wrist shot through traffic from the near wall of the Rush zone under the blocker of Rush net-minder Adin Hill to give the Steelheads the early 1-0 lead 11:31 into the contest (the goal was unassisted). The Rush fired back on a power play of their own, with a new comer notching his first goal in his second game with the club. Just 12 seconds into the first Rush power play, Terrence Wallin got his first goal with the Rush when he deflected a Brenden Walker blue line shot by Steelheads goaltender Branden Komm to square the game at 1-1 with 4:55 left in the opening period (Walker and Ryan Walters assisted).

Idaho’s red-hot power play continued its stellar performance, scoring on a man-advantage that carried over into the second period. With 1:11 gone by in the frame, Travis Ewanyk notched his first of two goals in the period by deflecting a shot from Will Merchant on the blue line by Adin Hill, putting the Steelheads on top 2-1 (Merchant and Joe Faust assisted). Once again, however, the Rush countered back, and scored, at the time, the only even-strength goal of the contest. Brenden Walker fired a shot off the facemask of Branden Komm and Justin Hache got the rebound and found Ryan Misiak between the faceoff circles. Misiak sent a shot through the five-hole of Komm and tied the game at 2-2 with 14:01 left in the secon (Walker and Hache assisted, with Walker earning his second assist of the night). Travis Ewanyk got his second goal of the game when the puck bounced off his shin pad, sending him on a breakaway that resulted in a shot over Hill to give the Steelheads a 3-2 lead with 12:08 left in the second period (the goal was unassisted). Idaho left the second with a 4-2 lead when they notched their final power play goal of the night on a Travis Walsh blue line shot with 8:49 left in the second (Travis Ewanyk and Kyle Jean assisted).

Following a Rush power play halfway through the third, Rob Linsmayer took a Jefferson Dahl pass on a partial break and squeaked a wrist shot off of Hill that trickled behind him to make it a 5-2 lead with 10:47 left in the game (Dahl and Charlie Dodero notched the assists). Will Merchant finished the scoring entries when he fired a one-timer by Hill after a collision in the Rush zone left him open in the slot. The goal made it 6-2 with 94 seconds left in the game, giving Idaho the win that has forced a rubber match for tomorrow night (Connor Chatham got the lone helper).

Adin Hill made 23 saves on 29 shots in his return to the Rush, suffering the loss (0-2-0).

The rubber match is set for tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. MST at CenturyLink Arena.

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