BOISE, ID – In the final game of a three-game set, the South Carolina Stingrays earned a point but ultimately fell in a shootout to the Idaho Steelheads, 4-3, on Saturday evening at Idaho Central Arena.
Idaho (39-19-6-1) came out fast in the first period in the rubber match. Kaleb Pearson scored only 4:34 in, putting the Steelheads ahead 1-0.
South Carolina (41-20-1-3) netminder Alexis Gravel settled in, keeping the Steelheads to the one goal on 15 shots in the first. In the second period, the Stingrays found a spark offensively.
Lynden Breen scored from below the goal line, squeaking the puck past the left skate of Idaho goaltender Jake Barczewski, tying the game at one.
The Steelheads regained the lead over a minute later. Mitch Wahl knocked home a one-timer giving Idaho a 2-1 lead 4:47 into the middle frame.
Just under three minutes later, Zac Funk drew a penalty sending the Stingrays to the power play, where Funk assisted on the eighth goal of the season for Patrick Guzzo, knotting the game at two with 10:53 left in the second.
Four minutes later, South Carolina capitalized on a turnover by Barczewski behind his own net. Stan Cooley poked the puck away from the goaltender and Simon Pinard slotted home his third goal of the series, pushing the Stingrays ahead for the first time, 3-2, with 6:55 remaining in the middle frame.
In the third, the Steelheads found an equalizer. Jack Adams tied the game at three with 9:14 left, and forced overtime as neither club found a game-winner in regulation.
Both sides traded chances across the seven minute frame, but the netminders made multiple stops in overtime forcing a shootout.
Neither team scored in the first two rounds of the shootout, and in the third round, Ty Pelton-Byce beat Gravel to give the Steelheads the advantage. Kaden Bohlsen could not answer in the bottom of the third round as Idaho beat South Carolina, 4-3, in a shootout.
The Stingrays continue their five-game road trip on Thursday evening against the Orlando Solar Bears. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. from the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.