Newell's Heroics Lead Tahoe to 2-1 Victory in Idaho

Patrick Newell must have a flair for the dramatic.

With 39 seconds to go in a 1-1 game, Newell silenced the crowd at the Idaho Central arena, one-timing the puck into the back of the net for the game-winning goal. It gave Tahoe a 2-1 victory, and a perfect start to their four-game road swing.

Bear Hughes scored in the second period, and Jordan Papirny made 26 saves to help lead the Knight Monsters to victory. But it was Newell’s strike from Logan Nelson and Troy Loggins that was the highlight.

The game was a defensive affair through and through, with both netminders carding fantastic efforts. Each team traded chances in the first period, but neither were able to find the back of the net. Papirny finished the frame with eight saves, four of which coming in a heroic sequence with Tahoe on the penalty kill.

Offensively, the Knight Monsters fired ten shots on goal and consistently generated opportunities in transition. They just weren’t able to connect the dots against Idaho netminder Ben Kraws. They also had chances on an early power play, but Kraws sealed off each bid.

However, Bear Hughes changed that in the second. 

Just four minutes into the frame, he took a feed from former Steelhead Slava Demin and raced down the length of the ice with Sloan Stanick to his left. With Kraws shading in Stanicks direction, Hughes dragged the puck and ripped it in for his 17th goal of the season, and the first of the game.

Tahoe generated a few solid shifts after that goal, but it was Idaho who would score next for the equalizer. Ty Pelton-Byce, who had six points in the season series up to this point, placed a perfect pass off the stick of Wade Murphy who redirected it past Papirny. 

While Papirny got beat on that play, he was still sharp in the frame with eight saves, including denying Mason McCarty on a breakaway a few minutes later. Tahoe got another key penalty kill late in the second, and the period ended with the score knotted up at one.

In the third, Tahoe outshot Idaho 15-10 and had some grade-A looks in transition, but once again Kraws stayed sharp. It looked like the contest was destined for overtime. Enter Patrick Newell, who finished a beautiful rush with his backdoor goal to seal the game in regulation.

Denying the Steelheads overtime (and the guaranteed point it provides) pays massive dividends for Tahoe. With Wichita winning tonight, Idaho is now six points out of a playoff spot, and eight points behind the Knight Monsters.

Now the job is to complete the two-game series sweep and make it even tougher for Idaho to catch up in a jam-packed Mountain Division. Game two of the set is on Saturday, March 14, with puck drop scheduled for 6:10 and Khalin Kapoor on the call.

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