Steel Battle Phantoms in Youngstown this Weekend
November 6, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, ILLINOIS - After earning three of four possible last weekend, the Chicago Steel will hit the road and head to Youngstown for the first time this year for a pair of games against the Phantoms on Friday, Nov. 8 at 6:05 pm CT and Saturday, Nov. 9 at 5:05 pm CT.
Chicago will return home on Friday, November 15 at 7:05 pm to host the Lincoln Stars for Sensory Friendly Night presented by Rising Lights Project and Laura Henrikson - Realtor. The night will feature accommodations for those with disabilities that make it difficult to attend sporting events, such as no goal horn, lower volume music, a sensory room, and more.
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 personal pizza coupons for just $60.
The Steel will cap off next weekend on Saturday, November 16 at 7:05 pm against Lincoln on "STANLEY" Cup Night, where they will pay homage to the Stanley Cup... no, not 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.
This weekend marks the second and third meetings this season between the Steel (6-8-1-0, 13 pts.) and the Phantoms (5-7-0-0, 10 pts.) after Chicago came out on top in the opening matchup on Sept. 28.
Last weekend, the Steel shined in a 6-2 win over the Green Bay Gamblers on the road on Nov. 1. Chicago scored three goals in the second period and added two more in the third to skate to their largest win deficit of the year.
Green Bay got the better of the Steel the following night in overtime. After the Steel took a 2-1 lead in the third, the Gamblers scored a pair of power play goals late to regain their lead, but Will Tomko scored a clutch goal to tie the game and force overtime. Green Bay eventually scored in the extra frame to split the weekend with a 4-3 win.
One of the top scorers for the Steel maintained his scoring ways against Green Bay. Teddy Mutryn scored a goal in both games and had an assist in Friday's win. He has scored a goal in three straight games and has five goals in as many games with seven total points. In that same span, he has 14 shots on goal and has a +6 rating.
Ashton Schultz has settled in nicely after being traded to the Steel just a few weeks ago. The North Dakota commit has tallied a goal in consecutive games and has four points in three games. In that streak, he has scored a power play goal and has put eight shots on goal.
Chicago's leading scorer, Aidan Dyer, continued to stay on the scoresheet with a three-point outing on Nov. 1. Dyer currently leads the Steel in points (12) and is tied at the top in assists (8). He also ranks second on the team in shots with 32, only behind forward Kolin Sisson, who leads with 37.
Goaltender Louka Cloutier put forth one of his best performances of the year with a dazzling 38-save performance Friday to record his second consecutive win. It marked the second straight game he saw 40 shots and was the third time in seven starts that he allowed two goals or fewer.
The Phantoms played a pair of games in Madison last weekend, both 4-1 defeats. Kuzma Voronin had the only tally for Youngstown in the first loss, and Michael Coleman had the only goal the following night.
Following their loss to the Steel on Sept. 28, the Phantoms have lost five of their last eight games.
The Phantoms are one of just four teams in the league that do not have a skater with at least ten points on their roster. Forwards Ryan Rucinski and Adam Benak are tied at the top in points for Youngstown with eight points.
Rucinski has tallied four goals this season, tied for the team lead, and has four assists which ranks second. He is also tied for the team lead in power play points, with two power play goals and two power play assists. He has scored three game-winning goals this year, the most of any other skater in the league.
Rucinski wasn't in the lineup for Youngstown's two games in Madison, but he enters this weekend with goals in consecutive games, recording a goal on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 at home against Sioux City. In his last five games, Rucinski has four goals and an assist.
Benak started the year hot for the Phantoms but has slightly cooled off after scoring in six of the Phantoms' first nine games. In the first five games of the season, Benak tallied two goals and three assists with a power play goal and 12 shots on goal. In the last seven outings, he has not scored a goal and has produced three assists.
Phantoms goaltender Melvin Strahl has received the bulk of the starts this season and has held his own. In nine games, he has allowed three or fewer goals in seven of them and has a 5-4-0-0 record. He owns a solid 2.74 goals against average, which ranks inside the league's top 15, paired with a .892 save percentage. He has played the fourth-most minutes of any goaltender in the league (548).
The Steel are 51-44-5-4 all-time against Youngstown and 26-18-3-3 on the road. Chicago won the first battle of the season, an entertaining 3-2 victory on Sept. 28 that went down to the wire. Owen Tylec and Kolin Sisson scored in the third period and Louka Cloutier stopped 27 of 29 shots to lift Chicago to the win. Friday and Saturday are the second and third of six total games between Chicago and Youngstown this season. The next matchups are Feb. 15 and Feb. 16 in Geneva.
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 8 at Youngstown Phantoms (6:05 pm CT)
Saturday, November 9 at Youngstown Phantoms (5:05 pm CT)
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
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United States Hockey League Stories from November 6, 2024
- Stars Drop Mid-Week Game at Sioux City - Lincoln Stars
- Steel Battle Phantoms in Youngstown this Weekend - Chicago Steel
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