Junior Steelheads dominate Arizona, stay 2nd in WSHL
Published: November 27, 2009
Junior Steelheads dominate Arizona, stay 2nd in WSHL
BY KYLA SAWYER
For The Star-News
The Idaho Junior Steelheads skated to a three-game series sweep over
the Arizona Redhawks in McCall and Boise last weekend.
More than 500 junior hockey fans combined attended the Friday and
Saturday night games at Manchester Ice and Event Centre.
Currently in second place in the Western Division of the Western
States Hockey League, Idaho has tallied an impressive 29 wins, two
losses, zero ties and three overtime losses so far this season.
IDAHO 13, ARIZONA 1
The Junior Steelies got off to a fast start to take a 4-0 lead at the
end of the first period.
Idaho tallied a whopping 10 additional goals in both the second and
third periods. Arizona’s only goal of the night was scored late in
the third period. Idaho crushed the Redhawks on Friday night with a
stunning final score of 13-1.
The Junior Steelheads had 60 shots on goal compared to Arizona’s 23
attempts to find the back of the net.
IDAHO 7, ARIZONA 0
Game two got off to a rocky start for both teams when Idaho’s K.C.
Fraize received a penalty for elbowing and was ejected 30 seconds
after the game started.
The check knocked Arizona forward Kelly Duke unconscious, and he was
taken by ambulance to McCall Memorial Hospital.
“Kelly is OK; however, he will be out for the next couple of games
due to the concussion he received on Saturday,” said John Barth,
McCall business manager for the Idaho Junior Steelheads.
With Fraize out of the game, Idaho was forced to do some major
maneuvering with its offensive lines.
“Losing Fraize only left us with 11 forwards which meant we didn’t
have even lines, so we were always throwing out different players
with different combinations,” Idaho Steelheads head coach John Olver
said.
The Junior Steelies were ahead 1-0 halfway into the second period
when Idaho’s Nate Stanley of Meridian scored a goal assisted by
fellow co-captain Tyson Cox of Boise and Victor Karlsson from Sweden.
“I thought we were able to turn a switch on midway through the second
period; Nate got a big goal for us, and we really started to find our
groove,” Olver said.
Idaho turned up the heat and scored five more goals in the second and
third periods to defeat Arizona, 7-0.
Stanley went on to lead Idaho in scoring with a hat trick and one assist.
“My favorite goal was the third one,” Stanley said. “Tyson (Cox)
passed it up to Mike (Michael Washington) from the point, and then
Mike saw me backdoor and all I had to do was leave my stick on the
ice and go to the net.”
IDAHO 7, ARIZONA 1
Idaho out skated the Redhawks in the final game of the series on
Sunday at Idaho Ice World in Boise.
The Junior Steelheads had 53 shots on goal compared to Arizona’s 26
attempts to score.
Idaho’s Justin Videen, who hails from Boise, was the game’s top
scorer with two goals and one assist.
This weekend, the Idaho Junior Steelheads travel to California to
play the Fresno Monsters, currently ranked number one in the Western
Division of the WSHL.
“Those games (against Fresno) are without question the biggest games
of the year, so we’re going to lay it all on the line and I’m
confident our team’s going to show up and play to our potential,”
Olver said.
–
Tom Grote, Editor and Publisher
The Star-News
1000 First St. McCall, ID 83638
(208) 634-2123
