ALLEN, TX – The Idaho Steelheads defeated the Allen Americans by a final score of 5-3 in Game Five of the Mountain Semi-Finals capturing the series four games to one. Idaho will face Kansas City in the Mountain Division Finals beginning next Saturday April 4 in Kansas City at 6:05 p.m. (MT).
Wade Murphy (3rd) worked a takeaway in front of the penalty box and went in on a breakaway. Driving through the right circle he went back hand forehand over the glove of Mark Sinclair giving the Steelheads a 1-0 lead at 7:04. Just 69 seconds later James Hardie tied the score at 1-1 getting a rebound in the right circle sending a shot far-side past Bryan Thomson. Allen outshot Idaho 11-9 in the frame.
Idaho captured a 3-1 lead through two periods scoring twice in the middle frame. Matt Register in the defensive zone from the far corner slid the puck up the right-wing wall where Murphy collected it. From there Murphy directed it off the wall finding Mark Rassell (5th) out through center ice where he went in on a breakaway beating Sinclair going back hand fore-hand sending a shot past the blocker 2:27 into the frame. Reece Harsch led a partial three-on-two across the blue line and fed Jade Miller above the high slot. Miller took a couple strides in and kicked the puck out to Francesco Arcuri (1st) below the left circle dot sent a shot into the net short side at 9:04 as Sinclair could not slide over in time. Shots were 13-11 in the period. 
5:51 into the third period Kris Myllari got the Americans on the board cutting the Allen deficit down to 3-2 before the Steelheads re-captured their second two goal lead of the game. Murphy (4th) intercepted the puck on the right-wing half wall and attacked the net from below the right circle slipping a shot between the five-hole of Sinclair at 9:57 of the third stanza. Then 3:16 later Ty Pelton-Byce drove through the left circle and slid the puck to the right circle setting up Keaton Mastrodonato (2nd) on the back side where he slammed it home making it 5-2 at 13:13 of the frame. 30 seconds later Kameron Keilly got the Americans on the board to pull Allen to a 5-3 deficit. Allen outshot Idaho 13-12 in the final stanza.
Bryan Thomson made 34 saves on 37 shots in the win while Mark Sinclair made 27 saves on 32 shots in the loss.
ICCU Three Stars
- Wade Murphy (IDH, 2-1-3, +3, 3 shots)
- James Hardie (ALN, 1-0-1, 5 shots)
- Matt Register (IDH, 0-1-1, 1 shot)
GAME NOTES
- Idaho and Allen were both 0-for-1 on the power-play.
- Allen outshot Idaho 37-32.
- Willie Knierim (DNP), Demetrios Koumontzis (DNP), and Joe Gatenby (INJ) did not dress for Idaho.
- Idaho has now eliminated Allen in the playoffs in two straight years.
- Matt Register recorded an assist and is tied for the all-time ECHL post-season points record with 117.
- Ty Pelton-Byce finished the series with (3-9-12) leading the playoffs in scoring.
- Francesco Arcuri scored his first career ECHL Kelly Cup Playoff goal.
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