Steel Win in Shootout Thriller Thursday Night
December 10, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, ILLINOIS - Making his USHL debut, Chicago Steel (10-10-2-2, 24 points) forward Johnny Walker scored a shootout game-winner as the Steel recorded a 5-4 win over the Youngstown Phantoms (11-7-3-1, 26 points) Thursday night at Fox Valley Ice Arena. Brandon Duhaime scored twice for the Steel, including a shorthanded goal. John Lethemon made 27 saves, plus two saves in the shootout in to secure the victory.
Walker, a 19-year-old from Phoenix, beat Youngstown goalie Colin DeAugustine in the second round of the shootout, raising his arms in celebration as he gave the Steel the lead going into the third frame. When Lethemon stopped Yushiro Hirano on the next attempt, the Steel poured off the bench to celebrate the team's first victory in a game that proceeded past regulation. It was the end of a wildly entertaining night in Geneva.
Youngstown struck first early in the opening period. Eric Esposito controlled the puck behind the net and found Cameron Morrison cutting towards the goal. Without hesitation, Morrison redirected the puck past the left skate of Lethemon to open the scoring at 4:13. After a Youngstown penalty put the Steel on their first power play of the night, Marcel Godbout capitalized on the man advantage by skating the length of the ice, beating two Youngstown defenders and lifting a wrist shot past the glove of DeAugustine to even the score at 1-1 5:40 into the first period. Brandon Duhaime gave Chicago their first lead of contest ten minutes later. Jake Nielsen picked the pocket of a Phantoms defender and quickly dished the puck to an all-alone Duhaime who lifted the puck over the right shoulder of the Youngstown netminder.
The Phantoms fought back to go ahead in the second period with two goals moments apart. Vas Kolias found the net off a three-on-two fast break. Kolias received a pass from Hirano and put a shot off the right arm of Lethemon and into the goal to tie the game up. Then, Garrett Hall gave the Phantoms a 3-2 lead just 23 seconds later. The Steel responded with a pair of goals during the second half of the period. Matt Kiersted's wrist shot from the right boards bounced off the chest of DeAugustine and then ricocheted off a defender's skate before trickling across the goal line at the 12:20 mark. Duhaime put Chicago ahead once again as he scored a shorthanded goal at 15:38. Duhaime sped past a Phantoms defenseman along the right wing and fired a shot glove-side to put the Steel up 4-3 heading to the third.
With Chicago still leading with less than five minutes to play, Hirano put a one-time slap shot from the slot stick-side to beat Lethemon and tie the game for the Phantoms. Neither team could find the game-winner in regulation or in overtime. For the second straight game, Chicago headed to a shootout.
The Steel scored on both of their shootout attempts. After Alex Exposito scored on the Phantoms first attempt, Mitch Lewandowski slid one between the legs of DeAugustine to even the shootout, and after a Lethemon save, it was Walker who took center stage for Chicago, notching the game-winner.
The Steel are back in action tomorrow night as they hit the road to Cedar Rapids to take on the RoughRiders at 7:05 p.m. Chicago's next home game is Saturday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. as they faceoff with the Green Bay Gamblers on Teddy Bear Toss Night. Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped stuffed animal to the game and throw it on the ice after the first Steel goal. All stuffed animals will be donated to local non-profits. For more details or to purchase tickets, call 855-51-STEEL, visit the box office inside Fox Valley Ice Arena or logon to ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
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