Idaho outscored the Mustangs 18-7 as Ogden dropped a three-game set to the league-leading Junior Steelheads 4-6, 2-7, and 1-5 in Boise over the weekend.
Idaho forward Dominik Gabaj logging six goals and nine points as Steelhead goalie Blake Mendenhall picked up three wins.
After a scoreless first period on Friday night, Ogden took a 4-0 lead on consecutive goals from Aaron Peters, Christian Kraus, Zach O’Mara and Bobby Chamberlain. Michael Dery assisted on three of Ogden’s scores and ended the night with three points.
From there it was all Gabaj as the Mustangs couldn’t stay out of the penalty box and the Slovakian native made them pay with three-straight power-play goals before the end of the second period.
Gabaj followed up with a shorthanded goal to open the third period and the Steelheads would score twice more to ice the series opener.
Ogden goal keeper Tyler Fallica faced 31 shots in the loss as Mendenhall stopped 18-of-22 Mustangs attempts.
Friday’s frustration carried over to Saturday’s game as both teams combined for 23 penalties and 74 minutes including multiple scrums. The Mustangs hung around through two periods and were down 3-2 on goals from Kody Rodriguez and Sean Haltam going into the third.
The Steelheads took over again in the third period though and scored four-straight to put the Mustangs away for the second consecutive night.
Idaho outscored Ogden 8-0 in the third period over the three-game weekend.
Gabaj ended with three points on a pair of goals and an assist, while Idaho’s Stefan Brucato found three assists on the night.
Rodriguez and Haltam each grabbed a pair of points for Ogden with a goal and assist apiece.
It was all Idaho in Sunday’s matinee as the Steelheads logged a pair of goals in the first and second periods to take a 4-1 lead going into the third.
Ogden’s lone score came in the second period when Matt Broman found the net on Mendenhall.
Fallica stopped 29-of-34 shots in the loss while Mendenhall logged 22 saves for his third win of the weekend.
Ogden (12-10-1-4) will once again host in-state rivals the Salt Lake City Moose on Friday Dec. 14 at the Weber County Ice Sheet in their last contest before the holiday break.
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