Idaho coach Brad Ralph has been searching high and low for players to fill out his depleted roster.

His work was rewarded in a hurry Friday night as those new players helped the Steelheads to a 6-2 win over the Alaska Aces in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,010 at CenturyLink Arena.

Forward Tyler Gron, who was signed earlier in the day, scored the first goal and later tacked on a second score to cap off an impressive debut.

“I thought he was an instant boost for our offense, with his speed and his tenacity towards the net,” Ralph said. “He can be a difference-maker for us, offensively.”

Gron played the first part of the season with Bloomington of the CHL.

The second goal was scored by another forward making his Steelheads debut: Brett Robinson, who previously played with Quad City of the CHL.

Along with Robinson and Gron, three other players made their home debuts: forward Ian Watters and defensemen Taylor Vichorek and William Lacasse.

“There’s a lot of teams looking for forwards and defensemen, looking to fill their rosters,” Gron said. “It’s happening more than just here. … It won’t be long before everyone will get to know each other.”