Sensory-Friendly Night and Straw Topper Giveaway Highlight Fun-Filled Weekend
November 13, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, ILLINOIS - On the heels of a tough road test that saw them earn a standings point for the fourth time in six games, the Chicago Steel will return home to host a pair of exciting promotions, including Sensory-Friendly Night presented by Rising Lights Project and Laura Henrikson - Realtor on Friday, November 15 and "STANLEY" Cup Night on Saturday, November 16, with both games scheduled for 7:05 pm CT.
Friday marks the third consecutive season the Steel will host a game tailored to individuals with sensory sensitivity issues that find it difficult to attend sporting events due to loud music and noises, flashing lights, and other overbearing elements.
To accommodate for those individuals, some of the accommodations include no goal horn, lower volume music, and a sensory room for guests to visit during the game. Fans can also enjoy ASL signers and silent applause after goals on the video board.
Originally named the team's "Celebration of Inclusion", the Steel have partnered with Rising Lights Project for all three seasons of the event, and local realtor Laura Hendrikson has been a major supporter of the endeavor.
"Over the past two seasons, this special event has been impactful and fulfilling for our organization, knowing that we're creating an environment that is safe and welcoming for all members of our community," said Steel President Dan Lehv. "We cannot do it without the generous support of our sponsors and we're proud to celebrate the work that (Rising Lights Project Founding Executive Director) Jaimie Valentini and her colleagues are doing in the Fox Valley area."
November 15 is also a Lou Malnati's Family Pack game, where fans can get four tickets, four hot dogs, four chips, four sodas or water, four Chuck-A-Pucks, and two Lou Malnati's personal pizza coupons for just $60.
Saturday features a night of paying homage to the STANLEY Cup, but not the tall, shiny hardware, otherwise known as the best trophy in sports... the viral sensation and must-have thirst-quenching STANLEY cups. The first 500 fans will receive a Steel Straw Topper, and fans can win STANLEY Quenchers courtesy of STANLEY throughout the night.
This weekend marks the first time in five years that the Steel (6-9-2-0, 14 pts.) and the Stars (11-5-0-0, 22 pts.) will play one another in Geneva, with the last result in Illinois being a 6-1 win for Chicago on March 24, 2019.
Chicago was tested in a physical series against Youngstown last weekend that opened with a rough 7-2 loss on Nov. 8, but the Steel pushed back in the rubber match on Nov. 9, scoring three goals in the third period for the second time in three games to force overtime and earn a point in a 5-4 loss. Tobias Ohman scored twice and Ashton Schultz tallied two assists in the OT defeat in which Chicago trailed 3-0 midway through the second period.
Ashton Schultz continued to shine for the Steel after extending his point streak to five games last weekend. The North Dakota commit has found the back of the net three times and has recorded four assists for seven points during his current streak.
Tobias Ohman has surged to become one of the leading scorers for the Steel and has been a scoring force for the last four weeks. The second-year forward is second on the team in points with ten and second in goals with five. In the last seven games, Ohman has scored five goals and three assists totaling eight points. In that span, he has 13 shots on goal with two power play goals and one game winning goal.
Another returner that has found his rhythm is Kolin Sisson, who enters the weekend with a four-game point streak. Sisson is tied at the top for goals (6) for the Steel and his nine points are the third-most on the team. During his current streak, Sisson has three assists and one goal on ten shots. In his rookie season last year, Sisson scored eight goals.
The Steel scored a power play goal in their loss on Nov. 9 that ended a brief two-game scoreless skid, but they have allowed a power play goal in five consecutive games going just 11-for-18 shorthanded, a percentage of just 61%.
The Stars battled the defending Clark Cup Champion Fargo Force in Lincoln last weekend and managed a split series, winning the second game 4-2 on Nov. 9 after a 5-1 loss on Nov. 8. Dashel Oliver posted a two-goal game in the Lincoln win that featured a combined 86 penalty minutes between the two teams.
Lincoln enters the weekend tied as the top team in the USHL with 22 standings points and just five losses on the season. They've won six of their last ten games and have won five of their seven road games.
Backstopping the Stars is goaltender Yan Shostack who owns the league's best goals against average at 1.95 and the third-best save percentage at .922. The second-year netminder has dropped three of his last four starts, but has allowed two goals or fewer in two of those games. Shostack recorded consecutive shutouts on Oct. 12 and Oct. 18 during a stretch of five wins in six starts that featured a 1.41 goals against average.
The Stars have two skaters within the league's top 20 in scoring, with Daniel Shlaine tied for fourth with 15 points and Jack Pechar just behind him in a tie for fifth with 14 points. Lincoln also has one of the league's best rookies in Gio Digiulian, who ranks third among league rookies in scoring with 10 points.
Shlaine is in his first season with the Stars and leads the team in scoring with six goals and nine assists in 16 games. The Russian forward has had a superb start to the year, scoring in every other game spanning from Sept. 20 to Nov. 2. The "every other" streak ended last weekend after Shlaine was held without a point in consecutive games, but he picked it back up with a goal in the Stars win on Nov. 9.
Pechar has posted similar numbers as Shlaine, recording five goals and nine assists. Now entering year three with Lincoln, Pechar serves as a veteran presence for the Stars as he approaches the 100-game mark in the USHL, currently sitting at 92 games played. He has posted an assist in three of the last four games and has recorded 17 shots on goal in the last five games.
Digiulian has seen success in his first year in the USHL and has been a consistent force for the Stars this year. The first-year forward has scored the second-most goals among rookies in the league (6), has the fourth-most shots (36) and is tied for second in game-winning goals with two. In the last seven games, Digiulian has scored four goals and three assists and has 20 shots on goal.
As a team, the Stars have the league's third-best power play at 25.5%, but have seen most of their success on the man advantage on the road, possessing the second-best power play percentage for road games with a success rate of 30%.
The opposite side of special teams has been powerful as well, a penalty kill percentage of 86% is also the second-best in the league. Additionally, the Stars have limited opponents to just 24.88 shots per game, the second-best average in the league. Chicago ranks second-last in shots for per game at 24.29.
The Steel are 28-20-3-1 all-time against Lincoln and 11-10-2-1 at home. The two met in Lincoln twice last season, with Chicago coming out victorious in each with a 6-1 win on March 15 and a 3-2 win on March 16. Steel alumnus Mick Thompson posted two goals and two assists in the pair of wins while current Steel netminder Louka Cloutier dazzled with 44 saves on 45 shots in the 6-1 win. This weekend's matchups are the only scheduled games between the Steel and Stars this season.
Tickets are on sale now starting at just $10. All Steel tickets are digital, and fans are encouraged to purchase online in advance at ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
Season ticket plans are on sale now, starting at just 5 games for $50. Season ticket plans are built on flexibility as fans have the option of choosing their own games throughout the season with multiple benefits including season ticket gifts and special events.
Group tickets and experiences, suites and other premium areas, including the Coors Light Chill Zone and Ice Side Tables, are also on sale now.
For more information, call 855-51-STEEL.
Chicago Steel Upcoming Schedule presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Friday, November 15 vs. Lincoln Stars (7:05 pm CT) | Sensory-Friendly Night presented by Rising Lights Project and Laura Henrikson - Realtor | Lou Malnati's Family Pack Game
Saturday, November 16 vs. Lincoln Stars (7:05 pm CT) | STANLEY Cup Night with Straw Topper Giveaway (first 500 fans)
Friday, November 22 at Des Moines Buccaneers (7:00 pm CT)
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