Steelheads slip up at home

Maybe the Idaho Steelheads should offer to play the final two games of this three-game series in Victoria.

After all, Idaho has proven to be right at home on the road this season. But Wednesday night, the Steelheads looked out of place at Qwest Arena as they dropped a 5-3 decision to the Victoria Salmon Kings. Idaho (11-3-1) will play host to Victoria (4-10-0) on Friday and Saturday nights to close out the series.

"We play better on the road," Steelheads coach Derek Laxdal said. "We've got to create some life in our building and we've got to give the fans something to cheer about."

Idaho is 8-1-1 on the road and 3-2 at home after Wednesday's loss.

"There's no pressure on the road," Laxdal said. "We're a totally different team at home right now."

Steelheads alternate captain Tyler Spurgeon said it's up to the team leaders to make sure they turn their fortunes around at Qwest Arena.

"It's on the older guys to step up," said Spurgeon, who leads the team with 17 points. "It's on myself and (captain Marty Flichel), we've been in all sorts of situations: on the road, at home, the playoffs. It's up to us to step up to the plate."

Spurgeon said he was disappointed with Wednesday's game, but he said he thought his team turned what could have been a negative into a positive with a schedule that was loaded with road games early in the season.

Idaho played 10 of its first 14 games away from home, and the Steelheads not only avoided digging themselves into an early hole, they returned home leading the ECHL's National Conference and West Division.

And along the way, they got to know each other and build some team chemistry, the players said.

"You learn a lot about each other and what it takes to prepare for games," said Michael Neal, a 20-year-old rookie forward who was one of Idaho's bright spots Wednesday as he tallied a goal and an assist.

"When you're on the road, guys are getting to know each other over every meal," Spurgeon said. "You're rooming with somebody new and you're learning about your teammates."

Now it's just a matter of applying what they've learned in their home environment.

"We want to please the fans," Neal said. "The way we do that is by winning."

Notes: Rookie Mathieu Tousignant and Brandon Kushniruk scored Idaho's other goals. ... Steelheads goalie Rejean Beauchemin (4-1), who came into the game with an ECHL-best goals-against average of 1.75, lost for the first time this season. ... Rookie defender Cody Lampl, who calls Ketchum home, registered his first point as a Steelhead and finished with two assists. ... The win was Victoria's first on the road this season. ... It was the first meeting between the two teams since the Salmon Kings eliminated the Steelheads from the playoffs last season. ... Idaho outshot Victoria 49-29.