Steel deal Cedar Rapids first loss
Published on October 25, 2004 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
Bensenville, ILâ The Chicago Steel battled the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders in a home and home series last weekend with each team winning on the road.
In the Friday night contest at the Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville, the Steel suffered yet another injury. This time Goaltender Shane Connelly (Cheltenham, PA) was injured and is out for an undisclosed amount of time. With Connelly out, Billy Sauer (Rochester, NY) made the start in net. The first two periods saw both teams with chances but both goalies stood their ground and the teams were knotted at 0 after two periods. A powerplay goal gave the RoughRiders the lead early in the third stanza and they never looked back. The Steel were blanked, 3-0. Sauer made 30 saves in the game.
The teams traveled to Cedar Rapids for the Saturday night game. Just 51 seconds into the game Steel fo rward Matt Clackson (Pittsburgh, PA) dropped the gloves with the 6-foot, 6-inch, 250-pound behemoth of a man named Phil Axtell. Clackson landed several blows to Axtell's face before Axtell knew he was even in a fight. Blood was obviously dripping from Axtell's face as both players skated to their respective penalty boxes with fighting majors. The first period was a defensive affair as the Steel managed just six shots while Sauer only had to make four saves. Early in the second period, Steel rookie forward Nathaniel Brooks (Richmond Hill, ONT) scored his first career USHL goal to give the Steel an early lead. Assists were credited to Chris Walsh (Northville, MI) and Ryan Olidis (Uxbridge, ONT). The Riders would tie the game at the 8:21 mark of the second period. The tie wouldn't last long as a mere ten seconds later, TJ Fox (Oswego, NY) went around the opposing center off a face and beat the Riders goalie top shelf to silence the Cedar Rapids crowd and give the Steel the lead after two periods, 2-1.
In the third period, the Riders peppered Steel goalie Sauer with 15 shots but couldn't get anything past the young netminder. Chris Clackson (Pittsburgh, PA) lit the lamp at the 17:40 mark of the third period to seal the victory for the Steel. Fox and David Marshall (Buffalo, MN) were credited with assists. The Steel handed the first place Riders their first loss of the season in regulation, 3-1. Sauer made 35 saves to earn the victory.
The STEEL head on the raod this weekend as they play the Lincoln Stars Friday night and the Omaha Lancers the following evening.
United States Hockey League Stories from October 25, 2004
- USHL weekly - USHL
- Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Weekly Update - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
- RoughRiders' Steffes Commits to Miami of Ohio - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
- Steel deal Cedar Rapids first loss - Chicago Steel
- USHL power poll - OSC Original by Mike Wallin
- Stampede Weekly Update - Sioux Falls Stampede
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