First Place Steel Slow to a Crawl for Turtle Races this Friday
December 1, 2021 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, ILLINOIS - Making their triumphant return to Fox Valley Ice Arena, turtles from Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles have been gearing up for Turtle Races at the Chicago Steel game this Friday at 7:05 pm CT when the Steel take on the Dubuque Fighting Saints.
During intermissions, Myrtle, Daisy, Sally Jane and returning champion Samsonite will come flying crawling out of the gates for the preliminary heat in the first intermission and a champion will be crowned during the second intermission.
Throughout the night of turtle-themed fun, Steel fans will be shell-shocked with how much action these ridiculous reptiles can provide. Fans will receive a special turtle trading card telling them which turtle to cheer on to the finish line. With sports wagering now legal in Illinois, there's no telling how far the excitement could go.
After the fan-favorite promotion on Friday, the Steel (14-3-4-0; 32 pts.) finish the home-and-home set against the Dubuque Fighting Saints (10-4-2-2; 24 pts.) with a 7:05 pm CT puck drop at Mystique Community Ice Center on Saturday, Dec. 4.
The first-place Steel split a pair of high-scoring contests over Thanksgiving weekend with an 8-4 victory on the road against the Youngstown Phantoms on Nov. 26 and a 7-5 loss against Team USA (U18) at USA Hockey Arena in Michigan on Nov. 28.
Chicago netminder Christian Manz made 37 saves to earn the victory over Youngstown, his first career USHL appearance. The Blaine, Minnesota, native's 37-save debut was the highest for a Chicago netminder since Hudson Stremmel registered 38 stops in his first career Steel game, a 2-0 shutout win over the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on Oct. 10, 2008.
Rookie forward Jayden Perron, a University of North Dakota commit, put together a seven-point weekend with a goal and three helpers in the victory over Youngstown and three assists in the loss versus Team USA. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native currently ranks second among USHL rookies with 17 points (5G, 12A) this season.
The Steel have won all three contests against Dubuque so far this season. Chicago defeated the Fighting Saints 3-2 in a shootout on Oct. 23 at Fox Valley Ice Arena before earning a 4-3 victory on Nov. 6 on home ice and winning 6-3 at Mystique Community Ice Center on Nov. 12.
The two-game weekend series against Dubuque pits two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference against each other. The Steel currently lead the USHL points race with 32 while the Fighting Saints share second place in the Eastern Conference with the Madison Capitols at 24 points each.
Over his last three games, Dubuque forward and Mundelein, Ill., native Michael Burchill has totaled four points (2G, 2A) including two goals and a helper on Nov. 27 against the Des Moines Buccaneers. Burchill is committed to UMass-Amherst and has registered six points (3G, 3A) in 15 games during his first USHL season.
The Fighting Saints roster includes two NHL selections in defenseman Samuel Sjolund, drafted by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round (#111 Overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, and netminder Philip Svedback chosen by the Boston Bruins in the fourth round (#117 Overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft.
After this weekend, Chicago takes on the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on the road on Friday, Dec. 10 before returning home for Winterfest Presented by Illinois Aviation Academy with Special Jersey Auction to Benefit Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association on December 11 against the Muskegon Lumberjacks. The Steel will hit the ice in special holiday-themed jerseys that will be available for auction from Thursday, December 9 through Thursday, December 16 on ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com. After the game action, fans are invited to take part in a post-game skate.
Tickets for Steel games start at just $10 and are available in person at the Steel Box Office at Fox Valley Ice Arena, by phone at 855-51-STEEL and online at ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com. The Steel now offer single-game ticket discounts for kids 12 and under and military.
Chicago Steel games may be heard on Mixlr at http://mixlr.com/chicago-steel/ (AUDIO) and video may be streamed on available devices through HockeyTV at www.hockeytv.com.
Chicago Steel Upcoming Home Games presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Friday, December 3 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints (7:05 pm CT) Turtle Races
Saturday, December 11 vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks (7:05 pm CT) Winterfest Presented by Illinois Aviation Academy with Special Jersey Auction to Benefit Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association | Post-Game Skate
Saturday, December 18 vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (7:05 pm CT) Scooby-Doo Night | Family Pack Game
United States Hockey League Stories from December 1, 2021
- Antonio Fernandez Commits to College of the Holy Cross - Lincoln Stars
- Lumberjacks Announce Exclusive Partnership with Rair - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Hawks Announce Promotional Alteration - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Muskegon Accommodates Cedar Rapids for a Trio of Contests - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Phantoms Acquire Centrella and Clark from Omaha - Youngstown Phantoms
- Jake Braccini Commits to St. Thomas - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- First Place Steel Slow to a Crawl for Turtle Races this Friday - Chicago Steel
- Holiday Help for Cedar Valley Vets - Waterloo Black Hawks
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