Idaho Steelheads vs Allen Americans: Steelheads Surge Early, Smash Allen to Win the Series

From the opening faceoff, the Idaho Steelheads made one thing clear: this game wasn’t going to be close.

In a relentless first-period outburst that left the Allen Americans flat-footed, the Steelheads lit the lamp three times in 11 minutes and never looked back, coasting to a 5–2 win Saturday night at Idaho Central Arena. With the victory, Idaho takes the three-game set 2–1 and sends a message as the regular season barrels toward its final stretch.

What started as a tense, low-scoring series cracked wide open as Idaho finally found its rhythm—and then some. It was fast, it was physical, and it was decisive.

First-Period Avalanche Sets the Tone

You could almost miss it if you blinked. Just 24 seconds in, rookie Kaleb Pearson buried a clean setup from captain A.J. White, igniting the arena and flipping the switch for a Steelheads offense that had been bottled up in Game 2.

From there, Idaho poured it on.

Brendan Hoffmann added the second at 9:47 on a smooth rush, and less than 90 seconds later, Patrick Kudla fired a laser from the point to make it 3–0. The Americans had no answer. The Steelheads were faster, sharper, and fully in control, outshooting Allen 18–13 in the opening frame and owning the pace of play.

Kudla, Murphy Keep Pressure On

Idaho didn’t let up in the second.

Kudla struck again midway through the period, threading a shot through traffic for his second of the night. The defenseman not only produced on the scoresheet—he quarterbacked the transition game and played a poised, physical 200-foot shift every time he hit the ice.

Wade Murphy capped the onslaught late in the second, converting a clean three-man passing play with Francesco Arcuri and Ty Pelton-Byce to make it 5–0. Every line was contributing. Every shift had purpose. Ten different Steelheads recorded points. It was a statement period, and the kind of performance that ripples through a locker room.

Watch the full game highlights from March 22, 2025, as the Steelheads dominated the Americans with a five-goal showcase

Kraws Delivers, Again

While the offense dominated, Ben Kraws held it down on the other end with another calm, confident performance in net. The rookie goaltender turned aside 31 of 33 shots and made several point-blank stops as Allen pushed late.

After posting a shutout in Game 2, Kraws now carries a .939 save percentage over his last two starts. And more importantly—he’s playing with composure that belies his ECHL experience. If this is the version of Kraws Idaho is getting down the stretch, opponents are in trouble.

Late Push by Allen Too Late to Matter

Down 5–0 in the third, Allen finally broke through with a pair of goals from Miko Matikka, including one with just over a minute remaining. But by then, the game was long out of reach. Idaho locked things down, winning battles on the boards, clearing out the crease, and keeping the Americans’ top scorers to the perimeter.

Special teams remained solid, with the Steelheads going 1-for-5 on the power play while drawing more chances than they gave up.

Key Performers

• A.J. White – 3 assists, +4; a true captain’s game

• Patrick Kudla – 2 goals, +3; dynamic from the point

• Kaleb Pearson – 1 goal, 1 assist; sparked the game from puck drop

• Ben Kraws – 31 saves, .939 SV%; poised under pressure

What’s Next

With the Allen series wrapped, the Steelheads now shift focus to their upcoming matchup against the Lake Tahoe Knights. But Saturday night was about more than just two points in the standings—it was a reminder of how dangerous this Idaho team can be when everything clicks.

The Steelheads found their fire, and now they look ready to carry it forward.