Sioux City Gets Big Shootout Victory Friday Night
December 15, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Sioux City Musketeers News Release
SIOUX CITY, IA - The Musketeers were back at home on Friday night to take on the Dubuque Fighting Saints, in search of a much-needed win. Thankfully, Sioux City would pull out the victory in a shootout after a back-and-forth game, winning by a final score of 5-4.
Things didn't get off to a great start for Sioux City in this one. Dubuque would strike first just 2:13 into the game when a Verners Egle shot took a few strange bounces before squeaking past Ben Kraws to give the Fighting Saints a 1-0 lead. Sioux City would answer back just under 10 minutes into the period. Ian Malcolmson picked off a pass in the offensive zone and skated in all alone on goaltender Aaron Randazzo before firing a shot that beat him cleanly to tie the game up at one. Sioux City would take the lead just twenty seconds later thanks to Jordan Steinmetz's fourth goal of the season at the 10:10 mark. Anthony Kehrer had an assist on the play. Neither team would find twine the rest of the period, sending Sioux City to the locker room with a 2-1 lead.
Sioux City kept the momentum going in the 2nd period and managed to get an early goal of their own. Nolan Krenzen made a nice play to enter the zone before firing a shot of the end boards. The puck made its way to the goal line where Ian Malcolmson ripped a tough angle shot that made its way past Randazzo to give the Musketeers a 3-1 lead at the 3:48 mark. Krenzen had the only assist on the play. The Musketeers kept up the pressure and were able to extend the lead to 4-1 just 31 seconds later.
Sioux City entered the zone with a three on one opportunity and the combination of Jack Babbage, Kevin Lombardi, and Brock Baker made a fantastic tic-tac-toe passing play. Lomabardi entered the zone and then dropped the puck back to Babbage who made a nice pass back to Lombardi. Lombardi then made another excellent pass as he slid it over to Baker on the backside who tapped into the wide open net to give Sioux City a 4-1 lead.
The Saints would start to fight back in this one and scored two unanswered goals in the period to cut the Musketeer lead to 4-3.
Dubuque would score the only goal in the 3rd period to tie the game up at 4 and sending this one to overtime. Neither team could find the back of the net in OT, sending the Musketeers to their first shootout of the season.
It took six shooters, but Sioux City would finally get the win thanks to Viljami Nieminen who made a nice forehand-backhand move before lifting the puck over replacement goalie Matthew Thiessen to give the Musketeers the win.
Big Ben Kraws was fantastic in net for Sioux City, making 36 saves and stopped all six shooters in the shootout. Randazzo and Thiessen combined for 26 saves.
The Musketeers will be back in action again tomorrow night for Alzheimer's Association Awareness Night against the Fighting Saints with puck drop set for 7:05 pm.
United States Hockey League Stories from December 15, 2018
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- Muskegon Suffers First Overtime Loss, Falls to Omaha 1-0 - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Dubuque Shuts Down Sioux City, 2-1 - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Central Illinois Falls Short to Cedar Rapids in Final Game Before Christmas Break - Central Illinois Flying Aces
- Stampede Sweep Away Gamblers at PREMIER Center - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Phantoms Hit a Steel Wall - Youngstown Phantoms
- Stars Fall to Des Moines 3-0 - Lincoln Stars
- Steel Slide to 7-2 Win over Phantoms - Chicago Steel
- Preview - Stars vs Buccaneers - Lincoln Stars
- Gameday Preview: Storm Travel to Fargo for Weekend Series vs. Force - Tri-City Storm
- Sioux City Gets Big Shootout Victory Friday Night - Sioux City Musketeers
- Central Illinois Rallies to Defeat Des Moines, 3 to 2, in the Shootout - Central Illinois Flying Aces
- Stars Can't Stave off Black Hawks in 5-4 Loss - Lincoln Stars
- Muskegon Shuts out Omaha 4-0 in First of Two in Nebraska - Muskegon Lumberjacks
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