BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho Steelheads defeated the Colorado Eagles, 5-4, in a shootout as the teams met for the second time in this week’s three-game set. Playing with just 14 skaters again, the Eagles fell behind 2-0 early — again — before coming back to force overtime and earn a point in the shootout loss.

For the second game in a row, the Eagles spotted the Steelheads an early 2-0 lead at the CenturyLink Arena, but this time they couldn’t tie things up prior to the first intermission. Idaho struck first with a power-play goal from Kael Mouillierat at 4:22 from the right circle. And just 25 seconds later, Ian Lowe doubled their lead with a goal from a similar spot.

Colorado tied the game at 2 with a pair of goals less than two minutes apart early in the second stanza. At 1:22, Jason Beatty took a shot from the left point that was redirected past Jerry Kuhn. Then Jack Combs sent a cross-ice pass to Chad Costello who beat the Idaho netminder with a slap-shot from the right circle.

But the Steelheads re-took the lead just 44 seconds later following a pile-up in Penner’s crease. The puck worked its way out to the left side of the low slot where Aaron Lewadniuk dove to chip it into the net. Colorado’s premier playmakers worked their magic again late in the second period to tie the game at 3 when Combs found Costello cutting across the low slot where he lifted a beautiful backhand shot top-shelf past Kuhn.

Idaho took another lead at 7:20 of the third, just four seconds after a power play expired, when Lowe took a shot from between the circles that rebounded right to Chad Klassen low in the left circle for an easy put-back goal. Colorado, however, countered with a similar play at 14:10 when Kyle Peto’s rebound from the left wing found Michael Forney alone in the slot for a 4-4 tie.

That’s the way regulation would end, and after a back-and-forth overtime period that saw a total of nine shots, Kuhn was able to help the Steelheads to the contest’s second point by stopping four of five Colorado shooters.

The two teams will meet again Saturday night to wrap-up the three-game series; the Eagles have earned three of a possible four points, going 1-0-1 so far.