Steel Blanked by Stars
November 16, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, IL - The Chicago Steel (6-10-2-0, 14 pts.) were held scoreless for the third time this season as the Lincoln Stars (12-5-0-0, 24 pts.) scored three power play goals en route to a 7-0 win at Fox Valley Ice Arena Friday night.
Goaltender Louka Cloutier made 43 saves in defeat.
Lincoln saw the best opportunity of the opening period four minutes in when Chicago was caught in a change, resulting in a miscommunication that created a 2-on-1 chance for the Stars, but Cloutier turned aside a shot from in close.
The Steel responded with a strong look of their own just after the halfway mark when Luke Goukler weaved through the Lincoln defense and got a solid shot away, followed by a Kolin Sisson spin-around shot on the rebound but both were turned aside by Stars goaltender Yan Shostak.
The early game of cat and mouse continued when the Stars created a turnover just outside the Steel zone and got an odd-man rush, but Cloutier again stood tall and made a left shoulder stop to keep the game scoreless.
Chicago received the first power play of the evening, but the second-best penalty kill in the league in Lincoln pinned the Steel in their own end for a chunk of the man advantage to kill the penalty and, shortly after the successful kill, turned defense to offense and scored the game's first goal.
Just ten seconds after the penalty expired, Lincoln crashed the Steel zone and Kade Kohanski got a shot away while skating to the crease with a defender on his back that squeaked through Cloutier to put the Stars ahead 1-0.
The Steel continued to match the energy of the league's top team as Henry Major made a nifty move late in the frame by protecting the puck en route to the net and lifting a shot that was padded away by Shostak.
Lincoln got close to taking a two-goal lead in the final seconds of the first frame, but Alex Calbeck made a superb defensive effort to negate a breakaway opportunity for the Stars and keep the Steel within one.
The Stars opened the second period with their first man advantage of the night.
After establishing the offensive zone, the Stars quickly went to work as Etienne Lessard released a shot from the point that was deflected by Layne Loomer for a power play tally that made it 2-0.
With Chicago on its heels, Lincoln continued to pounce and found the back of the net again just two minutes later when Loomer attempted to get a shot away and was knocked off the puck, but it skittered to the back door for Daniel Shlaine who scored his team-leading seventh goal to make it 3-0.
The Steel didn't let the deficit continued to push for looks and saw another solid one with 6:55 to play when Conn got below the icing line and tried to tuck the puck up behind Shostack, but the Stars netminder threw his paddle backward and knocked the puck away.
There was a short hiatus in scoring in the middle frame until Lincoln picked it back up later in the stanza when Dashel Oliver put a shot off the right pad of Cloutier and Alex Pelletier followed up and punched the rebound through the five-hole, making it 4-0.
Chicago again narrowly missed getting its first goal of the night with 2:25 left when Alex Hage gave a great feed to Teddy Mutryn to spring him on a breakaway but he flipped the shot high.
The Stars went the other way and got their own breakaway chance when Shlaine went searching for his second goal, but Cloutier sealed his pads to shut down the five-hole shot.
With only 35 seconds in the middle frame, Ben Yurchuk nearly pulled off the goal of the year by dangling and windmilling through almost the entire Lincoln defense but put a backhand shot wide.
The Steel were handed a five-minute major one minute into the third period.
Forty-four seconds into the advantage, a mad dash around the goal crease resulted in a goal for Matt Maltais after cashing in on the available puck at the back door.
The Stars added one more on the extended man advantage on a labeled wrist shot from the left faceoff circle by Gio Digiulian that made it a 6-0 Lincoln lead.
The road team added one final score when an initial shot from Lessard was blocked in the slot but the rebound trampolined to Kohanski who fired home his second goal of the night, capping off the 7-0 win.
The two teams will will wrap up the weekend on Saturday, November 16 at 7:05 pm on "STANLEY" Cup Night, where the Steel will pay homage to the Stanley Cup, but not the tall, shiny hardware 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.
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:
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) Saturday, November 23 at Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (7:05 pm CT)
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