Steel Defeated 7-5 by Team USA (U18); Chicago Point Streak Ends at Seven Games
November 28, 2021 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN - For the first time since Oct. 31, the Chicago Steel (14-3-4-0; 32 pts.) lost in regulation, a 7-5 decision against Team USA (U18) (5-9-1-0; 11 pts.) on Sunday at USA Hockey Arena in Michigan.
After the Steel tallied the highest scoring single game of the season with an 8-4 victory on Nov.
26 against the Youngstown Phantoms, Chicago surrendered the team's most goals against of the year as Team USA poured in seven markers just two days later.
Steel forward Adam Fantilli tucked home a pair of goals, his fourth multi-goal game of November, and Andon Cerbone, Sam Lipkin and Nick Moldenhauer picked up markers in the loss.
The first period was all Team USA with the most prolific opening frame of any Steel opponent this season as the home team scored the first four goals of the game.
Frank Nazar kicked off the scoring with the first of his two markers in the contest. After a shot rang off the post from Seamus Casey, Nazar dove behind Homer to poke the puck home just over two minutes into the game.
Logan Cooley doubled the Team USA lead with a seeing-eye wrist shot from the right circle.
Rutger McGroarty fed Cooley from the opposite corner, giving Cooley time to gather the puck before he put Team USA up by a 2-0 margin.
Cutter Gauthier was the beneficiary of net-front chaos in front of Homer on Team USA's third goal of the opening period. Cole Spicer backhanded a shot on net that was kicked away by Homer right to Oliver Moore. Moore fed the puck through the crease to a cutting Gauthier who had a wide-open cage.
Nazar got his second goal of the opening period, making a power move to the front of the net, tucking a forehander past the pads of Homer. It was Nazar's fifth goal of the USHL season and put Team USA in the driver's seat with a 4-0 lead late in the first.
Nick Moldenhauer, Michael Bianconi and Andon Cerbone got the Steel back on track with an excellend passing play. After a takeaway in the defensive zone, Moldenhauer led a line rush into Team USA territory, slipping the puck to Bianconi who occupied the middle of the ice.
Bianconi then feathered a pass to Cerbone who rocketed a one-timer from the right circle for his third goal of the season.
Within the first four minutes of the second period, both Team USA and the Steel notched markers on the power play. Cooley notched his second of the game for the home team before Sam Lipkin answered to pull the Steel back to a three-goal deficit.
Lipkin parked in front of the net and couldn't be moved, tucking home a loose puck after Jake Livanavage was initially stopped on a one-timer from the right circle. With the power play goal, Lipkin notched his 13th marker of the year, tied for second in the USHL.
Team USA looked to be in control with a 5-2 edge late in a chippy middle frame which consisted of 22 combined penalty minutes until Adam Fantilli unleashed a howitzer from the right circle to reel the game back in to a 5-3 margin just over a minute before the second intermission. On the left wing boards, Jayden Perron slipped the puck to Joe Miller who connected with Fantilli on a cross-ice feed, sending to the back of the net on a one-timer.
Trailing by just two goals entering the final frame, the Steel could not score the all-important 'next goal.'
Rutger McGroarty and Cutter Gauthier teamed up to put the game out of reach in Team USA's favor with back-to- back goals just 40 seconds apart to extend the home team's lead to 7-3 with just over six minutes to play.
Adam Fantilli picked up his second goal of the game late in the third, his USHL-leading 17th goal of the year, with a wrister from the left circle before Moldenhauer added his second marker of the season with just 19 seconds to play in the game, capping the high-scoring affair.
The loss was the first in regulation in November for Chicago as the club finished the month with a 6-1-1-0 (13 pts.) mark. Former Team USA netminder Gibson Homer made 22 stops between the Steel pipes and now has a 6-2-4-0 record for Chicago.
The Steel return home on Friday, December 3 for a fan-favorite promotion, Turtle Races, at Fox Valley Ice Arena with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 pm CT. During intermissions, turtles from Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles will thrill the crowd with slow-moving action as returning champion Samsonite makes his triumphant return to a Chicago Steel game.
Tickets for the next Steel home game start at just $10 and are available in person at the Steel Box Office at Fox Valley Ice Arena, by phone at 855-51-STEEL and online at chicagosteelhockeyteam.com. The Steel now offer single-game ticket discounts for kids 12 and under and military.
Steel games may be heard on Mixlr at http://mixlr.com/chicago-steel/ (AUDIO) and video may be streamed on available devices through HockeyTV at www.hockeytv.com (VIDEO).
For more information, call 855-51-STEEL or visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
Chicago Steel Upcoming Home Games presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Friday, December 3 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints (7:05 pm CT) Turtle Races
Saturday, December 11 vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks (7:05 pm CT) Winterfest Presented by Illinois Aviation Academy with Special Jersey Auction to Benefit Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association | Post-Game Skate
Saturday, December 18 vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (7:05 pm CT) Scooby-Doo Night | Family Pack Game
United States Hockey League Stories from November 28, 2021
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- Late Goal Sinks Stars in Omaha - Lincoln Stars
- Force Comeback and Beat Storm in OT - Fargo Force
- Burchill's Goal Lifts Saints to Victory over Des Moines - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Hawks Fall in Back-And-Forth Tilt - Waterloo Black Hawks
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