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USHL Chicago Steel

Muskegon Doubles Chicago 4-2 in School Day Game

October 28, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release


MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN - The USHL's defending Eastern Conference Champions, the Muskegon Lumberjacks (2-4-0-0, 4 points), skated to their first home win of the season Wednesday morning with a 4-2 defeat of the Chicago Steel (3-8-0-0, 6 points) in front of 1,801 fans at L.C. Walker Arena. With the loss, Chicago has dropped four games in a row for the first time this season.

Special teams were the story of the first period, as all three goals tallied in the opening frame occurred on the power play. For the first time in seven games, Chicago allowed the opening goal of the contest, as Muskegon center William Graber sent a backhanded rebound past Steel goaltender John Lethemon at 5:28. The Steel tied the game at 16:19 when Mitch Lewandowski scored his first goal of the season, tipping a one-timer shot from the right point by Karlis Cukste. But in the final minute of the period, the Lumberjacks regained the lead, 2-1, as Muskegon captain Trevor Hamilton sent a shot from the high slot through traffic and past Lethemon.

Chicago tied the game once more in the second period when Marcel Godbout scored his sixth goal of the season, quickly sending Karch Bachman's second rebound past Muskegon netminder Joey Daccord at 9:23. Similar to the first period, the Lumberjacks would regain the lead in the final minute of the period, cashing in on a 3-on-1 rush as Matej Paulovic returned a pass to Robbie DeMontis, who fired a one-time shot past the stick side of Lethemon.

Paulovic, a 2013 draft pick of the Dallas Stars, then scored a goal of his own for the Lumberjacks at the 8:47 mark of the 3rd period, giving the Lumberjacks their first two-goal lead of the contest. The Steel ran into penalty trouble late in the game, helping Muskegon limit Chicago to just six shots on goal in the final period, as the Lumberjacks won the game 4-2.

Lethemon finished with 24 saves for Chicago, while Daccord picked up the victory for Muskegon with 25. The Steel were outshot (28-27) for the first time in five games.

The 10:30 a.m. EDT contest was Muskegon's "Hockey for Health" game, with busloads of local elementary children filling the arena with much more noise than would typically be allowed in a classroom setting.

The Chicago Steel finish a six-game road swing, including five games in eight days, this Friday in Plymouth, Michigan with a visit to Team USA (U18). The 7:00 p.m. EDT contest is the USHL's Game of the Week, meaning the HD broadcast will be shown free-of-charge on FASTHockey.com.

Chicago returns home on Friday, November 6 for Military Appreciation Night against the Lumberjacks, starting the month that features seven Steel home games. For more details or to purchase tickets, call 855-51-STEEL, visit the box office inside Fox Valley Ice Arena or visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.

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United States Hockey League Stories from October 28, 2015


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